Current and future applications of in vitro magnetic resonance spectroscopy in hepatobiliary disease

Figure 2 A: A transverse image through the abdomen showing the two voxel positions used to study regional variation in hepatic fat content; B: Typical proton magnetic resonance liver spectra from three volunteers showing progressive degrees of fatty infiltration. Spectrum (a) shows a liver with minimal fatty infiltration (1.0%), spectrum (b) shows a liver with moderate fatty infiltration (10.2%), and spectrum (c) shows a liver with severe fatty infiltration (74.9%). Resonances from water and IHCL-(CH₂)n- can be clearly identified. Values refer to the peak area of the IHCL peak with reference to the water peak after correcting for T₁ and T₂. IHCL: intrahepatocellular lipids. Reproduced from Thomas et al Gut 2005; 54: 122-127, with permission from the BMJ Publishing Group.