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


METHODS
A single voxel STEAM pulse sequence with a minimum TE of 1.5 msec and a sampling volume of 36.6 cm(3) 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).


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Wang
Zhiyue J
ZJ
Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. zjwang@bcm.tmc.edu
Haselgrove
John C
JC
Martin
Marie B
MB
Hubbard
Anne M
AM
Li
Shuchun
S
Loomes
Kathleen
K
Moore
James R
JR
Zhao
Huaqing
H
Cohen
Alan R
AR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000378:metabolism*
D007501:Iron