Objective: To evaluate the value of dual-energy CT (DECT) with use of an iron-specific, three-material decomposition algorithm for the quantification of liver iron content (LIC). Methods: Thirty-one phantoms containing liver tissue, fat and iron were scanned with dual-source CT using single-energy at 120kV (SECT) and DECT at 80kV and 140kV. Virtual iron concentration (VIC) images derived from an iron-specific, three-material decomposition algorithm and measurements of fat-free and fat-containing phantoms were compared with the LIC and healthy liver tissue. Results: In the absence of fat significant linear correlations were found between LIC and HU from SECT and VIC (r = 0.984-0.997, p 0.632). Conclusions: Virtual iron concentration images generated from DECT provide added value for the quantification of LIC by disregarding the confounding effect of the natural variation of healthy liver attenuation and of co-existing liver fa
