Quantification of Iron Deposition in Chronic Liver Disease

Andrew Dean Hardie¹

Utilizing a multi-echo gradient echo sequence, hepatic iron deposition was assessed quantitatively in patients with chronic liver disease and in controls. There was significantly greater liver iron deposition among those with chronic liver disease than those without, as indicated by a lower mean T2* value of the liver parenchyma. This was true even when patients with potential hemochromatosis were excluded. Given that iron deposition may be both an indicator of the severity of ongoing chronic liver disease and may be a risk factor for the development of hepatoma, this method has potential utility in identifying both the presence and severity of iron deposition in individual patients.