Combination of Complex-Based and Magnitude-Based Multiecho Water-Fat Separation for Accurate Quantification of Fat-Fraction

Multipoint water-fat separation techniques rely on different water-fat phase shifts generated at multiple echo times to decompose water and fat. Therefore, these methods require complex source images and allow unambiguous separation of water and fat signals. However, complex-based water-fat separation methods are sensitive to phase errors in the source images, which may lead to clinically important errors. An alternative approach to quantify fat is through magnitude-based methods that acquire multiecho magnitude images. Magnitude-based methods are insensitive to phase errors, but cannot estimate fat-fraction greater than 50%. In this work, we introduce a water-fat separation approach that combines the strengths of both complex and magnitude reconstruction algorithms. A magnitude-based reconstruction is applied after complex-based water-fat separation to removes the effect of phase errors. The results from the two reconstructions are then combined. We demonstrate that using this hybrid method, 0-100% fat-fraction can be estimated with improved accuracy at low fat-fractions. Magn Reson Med 66:199-206, 2011. (C) 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.