Cross-sectional investigation of correlation between hepatic steatosis and IVIM perfusion on MR imaging

• Published in: Magnetic resonance imaging Vol. 30; no. 4; pp. 572 - 578
• Main Authors: Lee, James T, Liau, Joy, Murphy, Paul, Schroeder, Michael E, Sirlin, Claude B, Bydder, Mark
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.05.2012
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diffusion; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Fatty liver; Fatty Liver - pathology; Female; Fibrosis; Humans; IVIM; Liver; Magnetic resonance imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Perfusion; Prospective Studies; Radiology; Sensitivity and Specificity; steatosis; DW; IVIM; Diffusion; Perfusion; Liver
• ISSN: 0730-725X; 1873-5894
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2011.12.013

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between liver fat fraction (FF) and diffusion parameters derived from the intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) model. Thirty-six subjects with suspected nonalcoholic fatty liver disease underwent diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging with 10 b -values and spoiled gradient recalled echo imaging with six echoes for fat quantification. Correlations were measured between FF, transverse relaxivity (R2⁎ ), diffusivity ( D ) and perfusion fraction ( f ). The primary finding was that no significant correlation was obtained for D vs. FF or f vs. FF. Significant correlations were obtained for D vs. R2⁎ ( r =−0.490, P =.002) and f vs. D ( r =−0.458, P =.005). The conclusion is that hepatic steatosis does not affect measurement of perfusion or diffusion and therefore is unlikely to confound the use of apparent diffusivity to evaluate hepatic fibrosis.