Chemical shift magnetic resonance imaging: applications in the abdomen and pelvis.

Chemical shift imaging allows unambiguous separation of lipid and water signals. Useful images include opposed-phase (water minus fat) and fat-suppressed images, which can be obtained with spin-echo or gradient-echo methods. Chemical shift techniques can be used to reduce artifacts, to expand dynamic range, to diagnose fatty infiltration of the liver, to distinguish between benign and malignant adrenal lesions, and to diagnose benign teratomas in women.