CONTRAST-ENHANCED MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING FOR THE DETECTION OF ACUTE HEMORRHAGIC NECROTIZING PANCREATITIS

Eleven piglets with haemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis and nine pig lets with oedematous pancreatitis were imaged using a multi-breath-hol d TurboFLASH (TR 6.5 ms, TE 3 ms, TI 300 ms, flip angle 8 degrees, thr ee slices) pre-excited T1-weighted sequence with an IV bolus injection of gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA, 0.3 mmol/kg) as a contrast age nt to show dynamic contrast enhancement of the pancreas by MRI. All pi glets were imaged according to the same protocol before inducing the d isease. Following the IV Gd-DTPA bolus, time-enhancement curve of the pancreas during haemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis was significantl y lower than during oedematous pancreatitis. The enhancement curves fo r the healthy piglets and piglets with oedematous pancreatitis did not differ significantly. Each piglet served as its own control. Because the results of this initial study are similar to those obtained with c ontrast-enhanced CT, we conclude that our results may encourage CT, we conclude that our results may encourage further clinical trials, and contrast-enhanced dynamic MRI may be an alternative to the established method of CT for diagnosing acute haemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatit is.