Comparison between modified Dixon MRI techniques, MR spectroscopic relaxometry, and different histologic quantification methods in the assessment of hepatic steatosis

• Published in: European radiology 2015-10, Vol.25 (10), p.2869-2879
• Main Authors: Kukuk, Guido M., Hittatiya, Kanishka, Sprinkart, Alois M., Eggers, Holger, Gieseke, Jürgen, Block, Wolfgang, Moeller, Philipp, Willinek, Winfried A., Spengler, Ulrich, Trebicka, Jonel, Fischer, Hans-Peter, Schild, Hans H., Träber, Frank
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Biopsy; Diagnostic Radiology; Fatty Liver - pathology; Female; Hepatobiliary-Pancreas; Hepatocytes - pathology; Histological Techniques; Humans; Imaging; Internal Medicine; Interventional Radiology; Lipids; Liver cirrhosis; Liver diseases; Magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy - methods; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Neuroradiology; Patients; Prospective Studies; Radiology; Software; Spectrum analysis; Ultrasound; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0938-7994; 1432-1084
• DOI: 10.1007/s00330-015-3703-6

Objectives To compare systematically quantitative MRI, MR spectroscopy (MRS), and different histological methods for liver fat quantification in order to identify possible incongruities. Methods Fifty-nine consecutive patients with liver disorders were examined on a 3 T MRI system. Quantitative MRI was performed using a dual- and a six-echo variant of the modified Dixon (mDixon) sequence, calculating proton density fat fraction (PDFF) maps, in addition to single-voxel MRS. Histological fat quantification included estimation of the percentage of hepatocytes containing fat vesicles as well as semi-automatic quantification (qHisto) using tissue quantification software. Results In 33 of 59 patients, the hepatic fat fraction was >5 % as determined by MRS (maximum 45 %, mean 17 %). Dual-echo mDixon yielded systematically lower PDFF values than six-echo mDixon (mean difference 1.0 %; P