Adipose tissue as well as other depots of fat (triglycerides) are increasingly being recognized as active contributors to the human function and metabolism. In addition to the fat concentration, also the fatty acid chemical composition (FAC) of the triglyceride molecules may play an important part in diseases such as obesity, insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, osteoporosis, and cancer. MR spectroscopy and chemical-shift-encoded imaging (CSE-MRI) are established methods for non-invasive quantification of fat concentration in tissue. More recently, similar techniques have been developed for assessment also of the FAC in terms of the number of double bonds, the fraction of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, or semi-quantitative unsaturation indices. The number of papers focusing on especially CSE-MRI-based techniques has steadily increased during the past few years, introducing a range of acquisition protocols and reconstruction algorithms. However, a number of potential sources of bias have also been identified. Furthermore, the measures used to characterize the FAC using both MRI and MRS differ, making comparisons between different techniques difficult. The aim of this paper is to review MRS-and MRI-based methods for in vivo quantification of the FAC. We describe the chemical composition of triglycerides and discuss various potential FAC measures. Furthermore, we review acquisition and reconstruction methodology and finally, some existing and potential applications are summarized. We conclude that both MRI and MRS provide feasible non-invasive alternatives to the gold standard gas chromatography for in vivo measurements of the FAC. Although both are associated with gas chromatography, future studies are warranted.

Purpose To compare MR‐based fatty acid composition (FAC) quantification methods against the gold standard technique, gas chromatography (GC), with comparison of a free and a constrained signal model. The FAC was measured in the healthy and edematous legs of lymphedema patients. Methods In vivo MRS and MRI data were acquired from 19 patients at 3 T. Biopsies were collected from subcutaneous adipose tissue of both thighs during liposuction. The saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acid fractions (fSFA, fMUFA and fPUFA, respectively) were estimated with the MR‐based methods using two signal models: free and constrained (number of methylene‐interrupted double bonds expressed in number of double bonds, based on GC data). Linear regression, Bland–Altman plots, and correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the MR methods against the GC of the biopsies. Paired t‐test was used to compare the FAC difference between edematous and healthy legs. Results The estimated parameters correlated well with the GC data (rSFA, rMUFA, and rPUFA = 0.82, 0.81 and 0.89, respectively) using the free model MRI‐based approach. In comparison, the MRS‐based method resulted in weaker correlations and larger biases compared with MRI. In both cases, correct estimation of fMUFA and fPUFA fractions were not possible using the constrained model. The difference in FAC of healthy and edematous legs were estimated to 0.008 (P = .01), −0.009 (P = .005), and 0.002 (P = .03) for fSFA, fMUFA, and fPUFA. Conclusion In this study, MRI‐based FAC quantification was highly correlated, although slightly biased, compared with GC, whereas the MRS‐based approach resulted in weaker correlations. Small but significant differences could be found between the healthy and edematous legs of lymphedema patients using GC analysis.

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