Abdominal fat-water separation with SSFP at 3 Tesla

The ability of the phase-sensitive steady-state free precession (SSFP) technique to distinguish subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue in the abdomen at 3 T was evaluated. A phased array receiver radiofrequency coil and a commercially available SSFP sequence were used for imaging. The raw image data were postprocessed to generate fat-only and water-only images. A postprocessing algorithm that is computationally efficient and robust is presented. The postprocessing technique separates the fat and water pixels automatically without any user interference. The feasibility of the technique is demonstrated in vivo with breath-hold abdomen images. The short scan time and the ease of use of this technique are well suited to the quantification of body fat distribution in children.