The Concept of CMR
Slides, videos and moreEvaluating CMR
Imaging Techniques
Computed Tomography (CT)
- 1Key Points (1 page)
- 2Determining Total Adiposity with Computed Tomography (1 page)
- 3Determining Tissue Area or Mass Using CT (1 page)
- 4Measuring Skeletal Muscle Mass Using CT (1 page)
- 5Measuring Intra-abdominal Fat Using MRI and CT (2 pages)
- 6Measuring Ectopic Fat Using CT (2 pages)
- 7References (1 page)
Measuring Intra-abdominal Fat Using MRI and CT
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Figure 3: 
Figure 3: MRI and CT are the only in vivo methods available to directly and accurately quantify intra-abdominal fat. Intra-abdominal fat is the fat located within the abdominal muscle wall that surrounds the organs (or viscera). On average, it accounts for only 12% and 5% of total body fat in men and women, respectively (Figure 3). As with skeletal muscle, measuring intra-abdominal fat with multiple images is costly, labour intensive, and in the case of CT, involves substantial radiation exposure. Consequently, intra-abdominal fat is normally assessed using a single MRI or CT image at L4-L5. However, it is important to note that intra-abdominal fat values obtained through CT are not necessarily comparable to those obtained through MRI (16, 17).
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