In-vivo quantitative hydrolipidic map of perirenal adipose tissue by chemical shift imaging at 4.7 Tesla

OBJECTIVE: In this work, chemical shift magnetic resonance imaging is used for in vivo quantitative evaluation of fat and water content in the periren al white adipose tissue. DESIGN AND MEASUREMENTS: Experiments were carried out on female Sprague - D awley rats with a 4.7 T magnet. Fat and water fractions were computed pixel -by-pixel from the chemical shift selective images with an algorithm of rec onstruction that allowed parametric maps (called hydrolipidic maps) to be p roduced with a pixel size of 625 x 625 mum. RESULTS: Our findings indicate that, in the perirenal adipose tissue, the w ater content ranges between 15% and 20%, with slight differences between th e ventral and dorsal portions, and between the left and right deposits. The mesenteric adipose tissue, observed for comparison, has a mean water conte nt of 30%. CONCLUSION: The present work demonstrates that methods based on magnetic re sonance imaging can be useful tools for non-invasive in vivo quantitative m apping of the hydrolipidic content of adipose tissues.