Accuracy of common proton density fat fraction thresholds for magnitude- and complex-based chemical shift-encoded MRI for assessing hepatic steatosis in patients with obesity.

Purpose: MRI proton density fat fraction (PDFF) can be calculated using magnitude (MRI-M) or complex (MRI-C) MRI data. The purpose of this study was to identify, assess, and compare the accuracy of common PDFF thresholds for MRI-M and MRI-C for assessing hepatic steatosis in patients with obesity, using histology as reference.

Methods: This two-center prospective study included patients undergoing MRI-C- and MRI-M-PDFF estimations within 3 days before weight loss surgery.