Jennifer Stoneburgh1, Ali Fatemi-Ardekani2,
Barry Smith3, Michael D. Noseworthy4,5
1Electrical & Computer
Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; 2Medical
Physics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; 3Department
of Diagnostic Imaging, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa,
Ontario, Canada; 4Biomedical Engineering; Electrical &
Computer Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; 5Brain
Body Institute, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
It is common MRI knowledge that iron causes rapid MR signal dephasing and artifacts. Meanwhile, many people take iron nutritional supplements for low iron status. We describe here how ingestion of a standard "over the counter" iron supplement, too soon before an MRI scan, can result in artifacts. Based on steady state imaging results and analytical measurement using a volume magnetic susceptibility balance our results demonstrate that patients should not ingest iron containing vitamin supplements prior to an abdominal MRI scan.