Navigating Fat-Iron Interactions in QSM: Why Post-Processing Approach Selection Matters

Motivation: Accurate quantitative tissue characterization, in complex organs with substantial contributions of fat, like the liver, requires thorough understanding of how fat influences the MR phase. Goal(s): Our aim was to investigate how increased fat and iron concentration affect local field and susceptibility values as function of different processing methods. Approach: Local field and susceptibility mapping was conducted employing various water-fat separation and field-to-susceptibility inversion algorithms on a self-built phantom containing mixtures of iron and fat. Results: Different post-processing approaches led to pronounced alterations in local field and susceptibility values, especially for regions containing both iron and fat. Impact: The present study continues the investigations into the use of quantitative susceptibility mapping in abdominal regions, focusing on effects of adipose tissue and iron on MR phase and susceptibility, while emphasizing the importance of choosing appropriate data processing techniques.