Title: MRCP as a Challenging Tool in Evaluation of Pancreatico-Biliary Pathologies

Authors: Dr Kuncham Nagabalaji, Dr Pagadala Padmavathi, Dr Julius N Toppo

 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v7i10.58

Abstract

  

Background: Biliary system imaging can be done invasively (Ultrasonography, Computed Tomography) or noninvasively (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatography). Currently we opt for non invasive Magnetic Resonance Cholangio-Pancreatography [MRCP] to detect biliary pathologies accurately.

MRCP is noninvasive with inherent high contrast resolution, multi planar acquisition capability and with avoidance of contrast and ionizing radiation; is able to create projectional type images. It can also reveal extraductal tumours and is unaffected by bowel gas giving high resolution images with better sensitivity.

Aim:

  1. To evaluate patients with clinical suspicion of pancreato – biliary ductal pathologies with conventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Magnetic Resonance Cholangio-Pancreatography (MRCP).
  2. To compare the diagnostic accuracy of MRCP with Ultrasonography (USG) for the evaluation of pancreato – biliary ductal diseases.

Materials and Methods: The study comprised of a total no of hundred cases suffering from various pancreato – biliary ductal diseases of all age groups and either sex in the previous 18 months who were referred to Radiology department, KIMS, Amalapuram.

Results: In our study, we found that USG has 95.45% accuracy in diagnosing benign and malignant pancreato-biliary pathologies while MRCP is 97% accurate when compared to the standard histopathology.

Conclusion: Based on our study, we conclude that MRI serves as an accurate and non-invasive, nonionizing imaging method for evaluation of biliary anatomy and pathology; and can be considered as the gold standard for evaluating pancreato-biliary pathologies compared to USG.

Keywords: MRI, Magnetic Resonance Cholangio-Pancreatography (MRCP), ultrasonography (USG), pancreato-biliary pathologies.

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Corresponding Author

Dr Kuncham Nagabalaji

Final Year Post Graduate, Department of Radiodiagnosis KIMS & RF