Improved T1, contrast concentration, and pharmacokinetic parameter quantification in the presence of fat with two-point dixon for dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

Purpose To evaluate the impact of fat and fat‐suppression on the quantification of T1, gadolinium concentration, and pharmacokinetic parameters in DCE‐MRI. Methods T1 values were measured in fat‐free phantoms using variable flip angle with no fat suppression, quick or interleaved fat saturation (QFS), or two‐point Dixon and were compared with reference values measured with inversion recovery–prepared turbo spin echo. Relaxivity of gadolinium‐benzyloxypropionictetraacetate (Gd‐BOPTA) was measured in emulsions of Gd‐BOPTA solution and fat using Dixon in‐phase and water‐only images. Liver T1 and pharmacokinetic parameters of 15 patients were calculated from Dixon in‐phase and water‐only images and were correlated with liver fat signal fraction. Results T1 values measured using Dixon water‐only and non–fat‐suppressed images matched the reference values; while T1 values measured using QFS showed large deviations. Relaxivities and Gd measured in the Dixon water‐only images were less affected by the fat than those measured in the in‐phase images. The correlation between liver fat fraction and the differences in measured pharmacokinetic parameters using Dixon in‐phase and water‐only images were significant (P