Lipid characterization of bone marrow in vivo with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed using Spin-Echo Planar Spectroscopic Imaging sequences. The methods are shown capable of rapidly generating two-dimensional chemical shift imaging data sets suitable for measuring lipid indices that reflect unsaturation levels among triglycerides, as demonstrated in oil phantoms and bone marrow from a healthy volunteer. The volume coverage, spatial resolution, acquisition speed; and spectral characteristics of Spin-Echo Planar Spectroscopic Imaging should make it attractive for clinical studies of diseases affecting normal lipid chemical composition. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.