Evaluation of iron overload by single voxel MRS measurement of liver T2

• Published in: Journal of magnetic resonance imaging Vol. 15; no. 4; pp. 395 - 400
• Main Authors: Wang, Zhiyue J., Haselgrove, John C., Martin, Marie B., Hubbard, Anne M., Li, Shuchun, Loomes, Kathleen, Moore, James R., Zhao, Huaqing, Cohen, Alan R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.04.2002
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Female; Humans; Iron - analysis; iron overload; liver; Liver - chemistry; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy - methods; Male; MR spectroscopy; thalassemia; Thalassemia - metabolism; transverse relaxation
• ISSN: 1053-1807; 1522-2586
• DOI: 10.1002/jmri.10080

Purpose To overcome the difficulty of poor signal‐to‐noise ratio of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evaluating heavy iron overload by using a single voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) technique. Materials and Methods A single voxel STEAM pulse sequence with a minimum TE of 1.5 msec and a sampling volume of 36.6 cm3 was developed and applied to 1/T2 measurement of the liver in 14 patients with thalassemia whose liver iron concentration was determined through biopsy. Results The iron level ranged from 0.23 to 37.15 mg Fe/g dry tissue with a median value of 18.06. In all cases, strong MR signals were obtained. 1/T2 was strongly correlated with the liver iron concentration (r = 0.95, P < 0.00005). Conclusion The single voxel MRS measurement of T2 in liver iron overload overcomes the difficulty of lack of detectable signals in conventional MRI when the iron level is high. There is an excellent correlation between the iron level and 1/T2. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2002;15:395–400. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.