CHOLEDOCHOLITHIASIS - COMPARISON OF MR CHOLANGIOGRAPHY AND ENDOSCOPICRETROGRADE CHOLANGIOGRAPHY

PURPOSE: To prospectively compare magnetic resonance (MR) cholangiogra phy with endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) in the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-seven patients wi th suspected choledocholithiasis underwent non-breath-hold, heavily TZ -weighted, respiratory-triggered turbo spin-echo MR cholangiography. T hey then underwent ERC within 5 hours. The results of the two procedur es were compared in 45 patients. RESULTS: The absence of ductal dilata tion was shown in 16 patients at MR cholangiography and at ERC. MR cho langiography showed common duct dilatation in 28 of the 29 patients wi th dilatation shown at ERC. MR cholangiography helped correctly identi fy 18 of the 19 patients with choledocholithiasis and 22 of the 26 pat ients without choledocholithiasis. Sensitivity with MR cholangiography was 95%, specificity was 85%, positive predictive value was 82%, and negative predictive value was 96%. Two of the false-positive findings were due to pneumobilia. CONCLUSION: Non-breath-hold MR cholangiograph y is as accurate for the evaluation of choledocholithiasis as ERC.