Assessment of hepatic iron content by R2*-MRI is a non-invasive alternative to liver biopsy. R2* is typically measured by a multiecho gradient-echo (GRE) sequence, however, GRE fails in high iron cases when T2* decay is rapid. In recent years, ultrashort echo time (UTE) imaging has been proposed to increase the accuracy in R2* measurements in high and massive iron overload. Still, the accuracy of R2* measurements depends on acquisition parameters and curve fitting algorithms, which vary between institutions. The purpose of this study is to compare current R2* acquisition and fitting methods, and identify the optimal acquisition and fitting methods for clinical use.
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