Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Department of Comuter Science1 Coolege of Engineering, Soonchunhyang Univeristy
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE : Assuming that the fat content of certain tissue might be quantified by measurirrg the ultrasoundecho level, we analyzed the ultrasound histograms obtained from the fatty liver phantoms that contained variousamount of fat. MATERIAL & METHODS : Various amount of margarine(Mazola . Cliffwood. USA) was mixed with 2% of agarin solution state to produce fatty liver phantoms that contained 5, lO, 20, 30 and 40% of fat. We obtainedultrasound histogram from each fatty liver phantom in gel state. We used 2% agar gel as a control. RESULT : Theultasound histograms from the control phantom showed gradual increase in echo level as the depth frorn the surfaceincreased. The echo level frorm the phantom that contained 5% of fat showed gradual increase and subsequentdecrease with the peak echo level at the depth of 3cm. The echo levels from the phantoms that contained more in 5%of fat gradually decreased as the depth from the surface increased; the change becoming more pronounced as the fatcontent of the phantom increased. The echo levels measured at the depth of 1cm were 9.3(control), 29.6(5%phantom), 3l.3 (10% phantom), 26.3 (20% phantom), l8.8 (30% phantom), and l6dB (40% phantom). CONCLUSION : Fatcontent of fatty phantoms can not be quantified by measuring only echo level. Simultaneous measurement ofattenuation of ultrasound, which is not easy to do and not done in this study, is prerequisite to quantify fatcontent