Myocardial fat quantification using 2D Dixon MRI: feasibility study

The concept of fat contained within the myocardium, has recently received attention because of its potential role in diabetic myocardial disease, obesity, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected individuals [ 1 ]. Measurements of myocardial triglycerides in humans have been accessed using proton MR spectroscopy (1H MRS) [ 2 ]. 1H MRS provides a precise and reproducible tool for in-vivo quantification of intracellular triglycerides within the sarcolemma. However, the spatial distribution of the fat deposition cannot be accessed by 1H MRS due to its single voxel characteristics. We studied whether the dual-echo Dixon MRI could quantify the fatty content of the myocardium. The fraction of fat was also quantified directly with 1H MRS as an independent method.