Fat-suppression failure artifacts simulating pathology on frequency-selective fat-suppression MR images of the head and neck.
OBJECTIVE
To describe fat-suppression failure artifacts and to caution against their misinterpretation.


METHODS
Magnetic-susceptibility artifacts were studied in a phantom model and the results were compared to MR images obtained in clinical cases.


RESULTS
Artifacts manifested themselves as regions of focal fat-suppression failure and appeared as bright signals without geometric distortions at magnetic-susceptibility interfaces along the static field (z) direction. The location and extent of these artifacts were independent of either frequency or phase-encoding direction and are different from those observed in gradient-echo images.


CONCLUSIONS
In representative clinical MR exams, these artifacts were identified in the high nasopharynx and low orbit and should not be misinterpreted as pathology.
Anzai
Y
Y
Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine.
Lufkin
R B
RB
Jabour
B A
BA
Hanafee
W N
WN
D016477:Artifacts; D001834:Body Water; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008961:Models, Structural; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009915:Orbit / Q000033:anatomy & histology
D008055:Lipids