Fatty Infiltration of the Liver

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. The authors evaluated the degree of fatty infiltration of the liver in subjects with diffuse liver steatosis using image-guided 1H localized MR spectroscopy and correlated the magnetic resonance (MR)-determined fat fraction with the computed tomography (CT) liver/spleen density ratio and histologic evaluation. METHODS. MR measurements were performed at 1.5 T by applying a double-spin-echo localization sequence. Twenty-six patients underwent MR and CT examinations and ultrasound (US)-guided biopsy. Additionally, three healthy volunteers underwent MR examination. Steatosis severity was estimated using 1) the ratio between fat and total MR signal areas; 2) the ratio between liver and spleen CT number; and 3) histologic score. RESULTS. The linear correlation between MR fat/fat-plus-water signal ratio and CT liver/spleen density values ratio is statistically significant. Both techniques correlate well with histologic score. No significant correlation exists between water or fat T2 values and the severity of steatosis. CONCLUSIONS. 1H MR spectroscopy allows a noninvasive estimate of the hepatic fat content.