Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Abstract

The range of problems in clinical chemistry that can be addressed by MRS is wide. The number of applications reported in the literature is growing steadily, particularly since the study of the composition of physiological fluids and tissues, and the changes thereof in disease, are well suited to study by MRS. Moreover, the major technical limitations that have impeded its progress into the clinical laboratory in the past have been addressed. Recent hardware and software developments have further improved and simplified MRS analysis. Thus, it would be surprising if MRS of physiological fluids and tissues does not become an essential technique for clinical chemists and pathologists. In practice, three main obstacles remain to be overcome: a greater availability of instruments, a larger data base of spectral changes correlated with pathological conditions, and an enhanced supply of MR-trained individuals in the clinical environment.