Skeletal muscle fat quantification by dual-energy computed tomography in comparison with 3T MR imaging

Objectives: To quantify the proportion of fat within the skeletal muscle as a measure of muscle quality using dual-energy CT (DECT) and to validate this methodology with MRI.

Methods: Twenty-one patients with abdominal contrast-enhanced DECT scans (100 kV/Sn 150 kV) underwent abdominal 3-T MRI. The fat fraction (DECT-FF), determined by material decomposition, and HU values on virtual non-contrast-enhanced (VNC) DECT images were measured in 126 regions of interest (≥ 6 cm²) within the posterior paraspinal muscle. For validation, the MR-based fat fraction (MR-FF) was assessed by chemical shift relaxometry. Patients were categorized into groups of high or low skeletal muscle mean radiation attenuation (SMRA) and classified as either sarcopenic or non-sarcopenic, according to the skeletal muscle index (SMI) and cut-off values from non-contrast-enhanced single-energy CT. Spearman's and intraclass correlation, Bland-Altman analysis, and mixed linear models were employed.

Results: The correlation was excellent between DECT-FF and MR-FF (r = 0.91), DECT VNC HU and MR-FF (r = - 0.90), and DECT-FF and DECT VNC HU (r = - 0.98). Intraclass correlation between DECT-FF and MR-FF was good (r = 0.83 [95% CI 0.71-0.90]), with a mean difference of - 0.15% (SD 3.32 [95% CI 6.35 to - 6.66]). Categorization using the SMRA yielded an eightfold difference in DECT VNC HU values between both groups (5 HU [95% CI 23-11], 42 HU [95% CI 33-56], p = 0.05). No significant relationship between DECT-FF and SMI-based classifications was observed.

Conclusions: Fat quantification within the skeletal muscle using DECT is both feasible and reliable. DECT muscle analysis offers a new approach to determine muscle quality, which is important for the diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of sarcopenia, as a comorbidity associated with poor clinical outcome.

Key points: • Dual-energy CT (DECT) material decomposition and virtual non-contrast-enhanced DECT HU values assess muscle fat reliably. • Virtual non-contrast-enhanced dual-energy CT HU values allow to differentiate between high and low native skeletal muscle mean radiation attenuation in contrast-enhanced DECT scans. • Measuring muscle fat by dual-energy computed tomography is a new approach for the determination of muscle quality, an important parameter for the diagnostic confirmation of sarcopenia as a comorbidity associated with poor clinical outcome.