Measurement of relative fat content by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy using a clinical imager

The aim of this study was to determine the applicability of a proton magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy-based technique using a clinical 1.5-T MR imager for assessment of relative fat content. Proton MR spectra were obtained from a trunk phantom and 23 volunteers using a single free induction decay measurement. The ratios of fat methyl and methylene proton resonance to the water proton resonance were compared with the ratio of oil weight to water weight for the phantom, and with the ratio of body fat to lean body mass estimated by bioelectrical impedance analysis for the human subjects. Good linear relationships were found between the MR metabolite ratio and the ratio of oil weight to water weight (r = 0.9989), and the ratio of body fat to lean body mass (r = 0.9169). This MR spectroscopy-based technique is sufficiently accurate and may be applicable to assessment of human body composition.