Radiology, Vol 154, 137-142, Copyright © 1985 by Radiological Society of North America

ARTICLES

Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy of hepatic iron overload

DD Stark, ME Moseley, BR Bacon, AA Moss, HI Goldberg, NM Bass and TL James

Experimental animals that had been given excess iron in their diet were studied by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in vivo and by magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy in vitro. Hepatic iron overload in patients with transfusional iron excess was studied by MR imaging, and isolated iron protein fractions were studied in vitro by MR spectroscopy. The spin echo image intensity of livers with iron overload was decreased because of the extreme decreases in T2 compared with normal; T1 was decreased only moderately. The relaxation rates 1/T2 and 1/T1 both showed a linear relationship to hepatic iron levels. Ferritin solutions showed moderate decreases in T2 and mild decreases in T1. The T2 relaxivity of ferritin, which is due to the iron core rather than the apoferritin protein shell, does not appear sufficient to account for the extreme decrease in T2 observed in hepatic iron overload. Low molecular weight cytosol iron is present in lower concentrations than ferritin but potentially has much greater relaxivity and may contribute to the MR findings. These techniques may be useful in other studies of iron metabolism.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. D. Jensen, F. T. Jensen, T. Christensen, H. Eiskjaer, U. Baandrup, and J. L. Nielsen Evaluation of myocardial iron by magnetic resonance imaging during iron chelation therapy with deferrioxamine: indication of close relation between myocardial iron content and chelatable iron pool Blood, June 1, 2003; 101(11): 4632 - 4639. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Y. Jeong, S. H. Kim, H. J. Lee, and J. S. Sim Atypical Low-Signal-Intensity Renal Parenchyma: Causes and Patterns RadioGraphics, July 1, 2002; 22(4): 833 - 846. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S Salo, A Alanen, R Leino, S Bondestam, and M Komu The effect of haemosiderosis and blood transfusions on the T2 relaxation time and 1/T2 relaxation rate of liver tissue Br. J. Radiol., January 1, 2002; 75(889): 24 - 27. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Lodi, B. Rajagopalan, A. M Blamire, J.M. Cooper, C. H Davies, J. L Bradley, P. Styles, and A. H.V Schapira Cardiac energetics are abnormal in Friedreich ataxia patients in the absence of cardiac dysfunction and hypertrophy: An in vivo 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy study Cardiovasc Res, October 1, 2001; 52(1): 111 - 119. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Tani, Y. Kurihara, A. Kawaguchi, Y. Nakajima, T. Ishikawa, S. Maeyama, and R. Tanaka MR Imaging of Diffuse Liver Disease Am. J. Roentgenol., April 1, 2000; 174(4): 965 - 971. [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. L. Bonkovsky, R. B. Rubin, E. E. Cable, A. Davidoff, T. H. Pels Rijcken, and D. D. Stark Hepatic Iron Concentration: Noninvasive Estimation by Means of MR Imaging Techniques Radiology, July 1, 1999; 212(1): 227 - 234. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				M. Ebara, H. Fukuda, Y. Kojima, N. Morimoto, M. Yoshikawa, N. Sugiura, T. Satoh, F. Kondo, M. Yukawa, T. Matsumoto, et al. Small Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Relationship of Signal Intensity to Histopathologic Findings and Metal Content of the Tumor and Surrounding Hepatic Parenchyma Radiology, January 1, 1999; 210(1): 81 - 88. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				E. Angelucci, A. Giovagnoni, G. Valeri, E. Paci, M. Ripalti, P. Muretto, C. McLaren, G. M. Brittenham, and G. Lucarelli Limitations of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Measurement of Hepatic Iron Blood, December 15, 1997; 90(12): 4736 - 4742. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. F. Olivieri and G. M. Brittenham Iron-Chelating Therapy and the Treatment of Thalassemia Blood, February 1, 1997; 89(3): 739 - 761. [Full Text] [PDF]