Magnetic resonance imaging with magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography accurately predicts resectability of pancreatic carcinoma

Accurate preoperative staging of pancreatic malignancy aids in directing ap propriate therapy and avoids unnecessary invasive procedures. We evaluated the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with magnetic resonance ch olangiopancreatography (MRCP) in determining resectability of pancreatic ma lignancy Twenty-one patients with suspected pancreatic malignancy underwent dynamic, contrast-enhanced breath-hold MRI with MRCP prior to surgical eva luation. Results of this study were correlated with operative results and p athologic findings. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MRI with MRCP in detecting a mass, determining the nature of the mass, and predictin g lymph node involvement and resectability were determined. MRI with MRCP c orrectly identified the presence of a pancreatic mass in all 21 of these pa tients. Following pathologic correlation, it was determined that MRI with. MRCP was 81% accurate in determining the benign or malignant nature of the pancreatic mass and 43% accurate in predicting lymph node involvement. In p redicting resectability, MRI with MRCP had a sensitivity of 100%, specifici ty of 83%, positive predictive value of 94%, negative predictive value of 1 00%, and accuracy of 95%. MRI with MRCI? is an accurate, noninvasive techni que in the preoperative evaluation of pancreatic malignancy. Information ob tained from MRI with MRCP including identification of a mass and predicting tumor resectability map be of value in staging and avoiding unnecessary in vasive diagnostic procedures in patients with pancreatic cancer.