MEASURING VISCERAL ADIPOSE-TISSUE CONTENT FROM CONTRAST-ENHANCED COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY

OBJECTIVE: To study whether visceral adipose tissue (VAT) content can be measured retrospectively from routine contrast enhanced computed to mographic (CT) studies in order to avoid extra radiation exposure and to enable epidemiological quantifications of VAT in various diseases. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Seven patients were examined by CT and the VAT c ontents (from -150 HU to -50 HU) were quantified both from their corre sponding unenhanced and enhanced images (n = 8-18 per patient). RESULT S: The measured VAT volume in enhanced images was smaller (p = 0.016) than in the corresponding unenhanced images, which is most likely due to the adverse accentuation of partial volume effects. By using our bo lus technique, VAT (cm(2)) in an unenhanced image = 1.11 x VAT in an e nhanced image + 2.95. p = 0.0001. Alternatively, rising properly the u pper limit for VAT density in an enhanced image compensates the use of i.v. contrast media. CONCLUSION: VAT content may be retrospectively q uantified from routine abdominal CT images, but the unfavorable effect s of i.v. contrast administration on measurements must be taken into a ccount.