Contrast-enhanced fat-suppression neuroimaging

Abstract

The commercially available fat-suppression methods currently do not produce quantitative fat suppression but in regions of minimal magnetic susceptibility effects and high magnetic and radiofrequency homogeneity are clinical tools that can increase confidence and specificity of diagnoses when applied appropriately. The advantages of these methods include a reduction in CSMA, improved tissue contrast allowing contrast-enhanced studies in fat-rich regions for greater sensitivity to pathology, and improved staging of lesions. These methods allow better use of the full dynamic range of the gray scale. Future improvements will include thin-section three-dimensional methods and susceptibility correction schemes, which will broaden the indications and increase the usefulness of fat suppression in clinical MR imaging.