Phosphorus liver MRSI at 3 T using a novel dual‐tuned eight‐channel 31P/1H coil

AbstractAlthough phosphorus‐31 (31P) magnetic resonance spectroscopy holds potential as noninvasive tool to monitor treatment response of liver malignancies, the lack of appropriate coils has so far restricted its use to liver lesions close to the surface. A novel eight‐channel phased‐array dual‐tuned 31P/1H coil that can assess 31P metabolism in deeper liver tissue as well is presented in this article. Analysis of its performance demonstrates that this coil can provide good sensitivity across a width of 20 cm, thereby enabling magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) scans that can fully cover axial views of the abdomen in lean subjects. In vivo results and reproducibility of 31P MRSI at 3 T of axial slices covering the full depth of the liver are shown in healthy volunteers. To minimize intrasubject and intersubject data variability, spectra are corrected for coil sensitivities. Methods to maximize the reproducibility of coil placement and spectroscopic planning are discussed. The phosphomonoesters/phosphodiesters ratio calculated in healthy volunteers has an average intrasubject variation of 23% averaged over voxels selected from the entire liver. Finally, the feasibility of using the coil in the clinic is shown by preliminary 31P liver MRSI data obtained from a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.