title: Feasibility of dual gradient-echo in-phase and opposed-phase magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation of epicardial fat.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dual gradient-echo in-phase (IP) and opposed-phase (OP) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can evaluate small amounts of fat, and is widely used for imaging abdominal organs. Epicardial fat has recently been revealed as having an important role in the development of heart disease, but IPOP-MRI has not been widely applied in this field, probably because of cardiac motion artifacts.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate the feasibility of IPOP-MRI with electrocardiography (ECG)-gating for evaluation of epicardial fat in the normal human heart, compared to black-blood T1-weighted imaging (T1WI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten healthy volunteers were studied. Epicardial fat volume was quantitatively evaluated on OP-from-IP subtraction images and T1-weighted images.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Epicardial fat was clearly visualized on the subtraction images as hyperintense areas that corresponded to regions identified as epicardial fat on the T1-weighted images. Epicardial fat volume correlated well between the two methods (r = 0.93, P <0.0001), and tended to be larger on the subtraction images than on the T1-weighted images (91.4 ± 30.1 vs. 84.1 ± 30.5 mL, P = 0.07).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IPOP-MRI with ECG-gating may be a useful alternative method to black-blood T1WI for evaluation of epicardial fat.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan. satosi01@naramed-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okayama
authors.forename: Seno
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ayako
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Somekawa
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uemura
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000328:Adult; D055424:Cardiac-Gated Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010496:Pericardium / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D040521:Subcutaneous Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013382:Subtraction Technique