MR CHOLANGIOGRAPHY USING A FAST SPIN-ECHO TECHNIQUE - PROSPECTIVE EVALUATION IN 20 PATIENTS

Purpose: To evaluate a MR cholangiographic technique using a non breat h-hold fast spin-echo technique in patients with suspected bile duct o bstruction. Material and Methods: Twenty patients with suspected bile duct obstruction were prospectively investigated with MR cholangiograp hy using a T2-weighted non breath-hold fast spin-echo technique (TR = 8000-9000 mse, effective TE = 120-266 msec, ETL = 16-32, acquisition t ime = 1-3 min) with a body coil. Results of MR cholangiography were co mpared to those obtained with endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (n = 20 patients) and endoscopic sonography (n = 12 patients) that were considered as reference. Results : MR cholangiography provided high-qu ality images in 19 out of 20 cases (95 %). MR cholangiography had 100 % sensitivity, 100 % specificity and 100 % accuracy in the diagnosis o f bile duct dilatation. MR cholangiography had 73 % sensitivity, 75 % specificity and 73 % accuracy in the diagnosis of bile duct obstructio n. MR cholangiography failed to depict small stones (< 3 mm) of the ma in bile duct in 4 cases in which no bile duct dilatation was found. Co nclusion: MR cholangiography using a non breath-hold fast spin-echo te chnique depicts bile duct dilatation with a degree of accuracy compara ble to that achieved with endoscopic examination. In the absence of bi le duct dilatation, small stones of the main bile duct may be undetect ed with MR cholangiography.