Abstract #1856

MRI-based liver iron quantification using refocused gradient-echo (bSSFP): initial results

Arthur Peter Wunderlich^1,2, Holger Cario³, Michael Götz², Meinrad Beer¹, and Stefan Andreas Schmidt¹

¹Diagnostic and Intervnetional Radiology, Ulm University, Medical Center, Ulm, Germany, ²Section for Experimental Radiology, Ulm University, Medical Center, Ulm, Germany, ³Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University, Medical Center, Ulm, Germany

Synopsis

Keywords: Liver, Hematologic, Iron overload

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of using a balanced steady-state free precession sequence (bSSFP) to determine liver iron content (LIC).

Methods: Thirty-five consecutive patients with liver iron overload were examined with bSSFP. Signal intensity ratios between liver parenchyma and paraspinal muscles were correlated with LIC reference values obtained using Ferriscan.

Results: LIC values ranged from 24 to 756 µmol/g. The best SIR-to-LIC correlation was obtained with 3.5 ms repetition time and 17° excitation flip angle.

Conclusion: bSSFP is suitable to determine LIC. Its advantages are high SNR efficiency and the ability to acquire the entire liver in a breath hold.

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