From the bottom of the heart: Measuring liver iron concentration on cardiac MRI

Patients with hemochromatosis require regular surveillance of liver and cardiac iron concentration with liver and cardiac MRI. However, cardiac MRI includes a part of the liver in the field of view. The purpose of this retrospective and prospective study is to determine if liver T2* measured on cardiac MRI may be used as a surrogate for T2* obtained on standard liver MRI. Liver iron concentrations were measured on cardiac and liver MRI in 21 patients. Although statistically significant, the difference may be clinically insignificant as the same patients merited chelation therapy when relying on either the cardiac or liver MRI.