PROTON MR SPECTROSCOPY IN QUANTITATIVE IN-VIVO DETERMINATION OF FAT-CONTENT IN HUMAN LIVER STEATOSIS

To demonstrate that the lipid volume fraction in liver steatosis can b e accurately estimated with in vivo hydrogen-1 magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy, the authors developed a calibration procedure based on in vitro MR spectroscopy of lipid extracts from steatotic liver specim ens. The lipid volume fractions determined with the calibration proced ure were compared with the results of histomorphometry and with calibr ated computed tomographic (CT) data. The volume fraction of fat determ ined with MR spectroscopy was in good agreement with the CT results, w hereas histomorphometry underestimated the amount of hepatic fat. The results indicate that determination of the fat volume fraction in stea totic liver can be achieved noninvasively with MR spectroscopy.