Liver T2* Measurement of Iron Overload: An Investigation of Optimal Methods of Quantification

Marine Beaumont¹, Hai-Ling Margaret Cheng^1,2

Rapid T2* measurement for iron quantification is potentially more attractive than T2-based techniques but has yet to be approved for the liver. Different analysis models are available, but their reliability under noisy conditions has not been well characterized. Three models were assessed in this study: monoexponential, constant offset, and truncated. Simulations show the truncated model to provide the best accuracy. The more common offset model suffers from overestimating true iron levels, but it retains a greater dynamic range at low SNRs. These results provide guidelines on choosing an appropriate model under specific noise conditions for accurate T2* liver iron quantification.