Fat–water separation by fast metabolite cycling magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging at 3 T: A method to generate separate quantitative distribution maps of musculoskeletal lipid components

PurposeTo provide a rapid, noninvasive fat-water separation technique that allows producing quantitative maps of particular lipid components.MethodsThe calf muscles in 5 healthy adolescents (age 12-16 years; body mass index = 20 ± 3 kg/m2 ) were scanned by two different fat fraction measurement methods. A density-weighted concentric-ring trajectory metabolite-cycling MRSI technique was implemented to collect data with a nominal resolution of 0.25 mL within 3 minutes and 16 seconds. For comparative purposes, the standard Dixon technique was performed. The two techniques were compared using structural similarity analysis. Additionally, the difference in the distribution of each lipid over the adolescent calf muscles was assessed based on the MRSI data.ResultsThe proposed MRSI technique provided individual fat fraction maps for eight musculoskeletal lipid components identified by LCModel analysis (IMC/L [CH3 ], EMCL [CH3 ], IMC/L [CH2 ]n , EMC/L [CH2 ]n , IMC/L [CH2 -CH], EMC/L [CH2 -CH], IMC/L [-CH=CH-], and EMC/L [-CH=CH-]) with mean structural similarity indices of 0.19, 0.04, 0.03, 0.50, 0.45, 0.04, 0.07, and 0.12, respectively, compared with the maps generated by the used Dixon method. Further analysis of voxels with zero structural similarity demonstrated an increased sensitivity of fat fraction lipid maps from the data acquired using this MRSI technique over the standard Dixon technique. The lipid spatial distribution over calf muscles was consistent with previously published findings in adults.ConclusionThis MRSI technique can be a useful tool when individual lipid fat fraction maps are desired within a clinically acceptable time and with a nominal spatial resolution of 0.25 mL