ABSTRACT
Geoffrey D. Clarke, Ronald J. T. Corbett, Charles E. Mize, and James C. M. Chan
I. Principles of In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy 270 A. The Physical Phenomenon of Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance 270 B. The Information Content of the NMR Signal 272 C. The Sensitivity of the 31P MRS Experiment 273 D. The Chemical Information in the Width of a
Peak 275 E. The Acquisition and Analysis of 31P MRS Data 278
II. Developmental Changes in Normal Phosphorus Spectra 279 A. Phosphorylated Metabolites and the 31P MRS
Spectra of Muscle 280 B. Immobile Assemblies and the 31P Spectra of
Brain 282
III. 31P MRS of Pathophysiologic States 285 A. Neoplasm, Cardiac, and Renal Applications 285 B. Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury 289 C. Skeletal Muscle Metabolism and Dysfunction 293 D. Hypophosphatemia 295 E. Diseases of Glycolysis and Mitochondrial
Metabolism 297 F. Dystrophies and Other Myopathies 298 G. Hepatic Studies 299
IV. Future Applications of In Vivo 31P MRS 299
References 300
Over the past decade magnetic resonance imaging, commonly called MRI, has become an increasingly familiar tool for pediatric diagnosis.1 The most commonly employed MRI signal is derived from the nuclei of hydrogen atoms ('H), principally those found in water. The remarkable success of the application of MRI in medicine can be attributed to its capability to clearly distinguish different soft tissue types and to its noninvasive nature. In addition, the persistent evolution of new clinical MRI applications is propelled by the great flexibility of a technology that allows one to design data acquisition protocols that enhance the image contrast between specific areas of tissue.
