New techniques of H1 spectroscopy on the liver: Reworking of NMR sequences

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) allows to quantify non-invasively the molecular structure of the compound under examination by measuring the level of absorption of electromagnetic field. Although NMR is widely applied in neuroradiology, this technique has the potential to study diseases of the liver. The goal of the present study is to present a novel NMR technique for the study of liver and related diseases by adapting sequences generally used for neuroradiologic screening. Specifically, the PRESS SV and STEAM SV sequences were adapted to quantify the changes of chemical compounds in liver diseases such as the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our results shows that the level of choline, which is usually high in malignant HCC, is altered after chemioembolization treatment performed in our hospital. Using NMR, we demonstrated the importance of the spectroscopic investigation in the quantification and differentiation of molecules involved in the metabolism of liver lesions.