MAGNETIC-RESONANCE CHOLANGIOGRAPHY

Magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) can be performed with data fr om a routine imaging protocol, without the need for additional pulse s equences or special equipment. We studied three patients with obstruct ive jaundice who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liv er. T2-weighted fat suppressed fast spin-echo sequences were processed with a maximum intensity projection algorithm to create three-dimensi onal images of the dilated portions of the biliary tree. Results were correlated with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and com puted tomography. These images compare favorably with those acquired o n scanners in which special breath-holding gradient echo protocols are used.