Correction of phase errors in quantitative water-fat imaging using a monopolar time-interleaved multi-echo gradient echo sequence

Purpose To propose a phase error correction scheme for monopolar time-interleaved multi-echo gradient echo water–fat imaging that allows accurate and robust complex-based quantification of the proton density fat fraction (PDFF). Methods A three-step phase correction scheme is proposed to address a) a phase term induced by echo misalignments that can be measured with a reference scan using reversed readout polarity, b) a phase term induced by the concomitant gradient field that can be predicted from the gradient waveforms, and c) a phase offset between time-interleaved echo trains. Simulations were carried out to characterize the concomitant gradient field-induced PDFF bias and the performance estimating the phase offset between time-interleaved echo trains. Phantom experiments and in vivo liver and thigh imaging were performed to study the relevance of each of the three phase correction steps on PDFF accuracy and robustness. Results The simulation, phantom, and in vivo results showed in agreement with the theory an echo time-dependent PDFF bias introduced by the three phase error sources. The proposed phase correction scheme was found to provide accurate PDFF estimation independent of the employed echo time combination. Conclusion Complex-based time-interleaved water–fat imaging was found to give accurate and robust PDFF measurements after applying the proposed phase error correction scheme. Magn Reson Med 78:984–996, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.