Abstract #2295

Tuthill T, Wyman B, Peterson B, Raunig D, Hickman A

To further understanding of hepatic steatosis in liver disease and drug toxicity, a non-invasive technique for measuring fat fraction was investigated. Using the modified Dixon technique, twenty-one obese subjects were imaged with a 1.5T GE MRI scanner. Regions of interest were selected to compute fat fraction which ranged from 3 to 18%. Statistical analysis of ROIs showed the technique to be stable. The lack of correlation between liver fat content and BMI or ALT levels shows that liver fat accumulation cannot be simply explained by body weight or circulating liver enzymes in obese subjects.