A rapid and reliable semiautomated method for measurement of total abdominal fat volumes using magnetic resonance imaging.
The aim of this study was the development of a reliable and fast method to estimate total abdominal fat volumes (TAF) in diabetic subjects on the basis of T1-weighted MR images. Thirty-seven patients with diabetes were examined (age 48 +/- 13 y mean +/- SD). A semiautomated computer assisted software program was developed to quantify intraabdominal (IAF), subcutaneous (SCF), and total abdominal fat volumes (TAF). The variability of image analysis for fat measurements between two observers and within observers was assessed. Mean volumes (+/- SD) for IAF, SCF and TAF were 10.5 1 (+/- 5.0 1), 15.1 1 (+/-7.3 1) and 25.7 1 (+/-11.5 1), respectively. Inter- and intraobserver reliability was excellent (r = 0.999 to r = 1.0). Per patient, the analysis required nine minutes in addition to a scan duration of seven minutes. As this analytic method using T1-weighted MR images allows a fast and reliable quantification of TAF, IAF and SCF, it may serve as a valuable tool for respective studies in diabetic subjects.
Wilhelm Poll
Ludger
L
Institute of Diagnostic Radiology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany. polll@uni-duesseldorf.de
Wittsack
Hans-Jörg
HJ
Koch
Jens-Albrecht
JA
Willers
Reinhart
R
Cohnen
Mathias
M
Kapitza
Christoph
C
Heinemann
Lutz
L
Mödder
Ulrich
U
D000005:Abdomen; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results