MRI overview for fat quantification in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the clinical and research settings

• Main Author: Kavanaugh, Ryan
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Medical imaging
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/2144/24022

The general purpose of this master’s thesis is to describe the MRI techniques used in scanning and post processing for quantifying liver fat percentages for the purpose of diagnosis and research. At the onset we will look at epidemiological data regarding nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which is often called by the name of hepatic steatosis. Based on the prevalence of this disease it is worthwhile to fully understand non-invasive (MRI) analysis, and its use in the clinical and research setting. Following an introductory section regarding the basis of magnetic resonance imaging, we will take a more in-depth look at current methods utilized for liver fat quantification. Due to the massive population of those of suffer from this disease worldwide it is prudent to analyze current methods, as well as the implications that such research has and will have on the pharmaceutical approach to treating this disease. The purpose of this thesis is to elucidate the MRI techniques utilized for liver fat quantification and provide a comprehensive view of how these techniques are used for diagnosis in the clinical setting, and longitudinal studies in the research setting to measure liver fat levels and how they react to various treatment approaches.