Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in assessing the cause of acute pancreatitis in children

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is a new noninvasive met hod of obtaining images of the pancreaticobiliary tract. Recent advances in MR technology and image quality have made it easy to diagnose structural a bnormalities of the pancreaticobiliary tract (SAPBT) in children. To examin e the usefulness of MRCP in assessing the cause of acute pancreatitis in ch ildren, we performed MRCP in 16 patients with acute pancreatitis. The study population was divided into two groups according to the cause of acute pan creatitis as follows: group 1 consisted of seven patients sonographically diagnosed with choledochal cysts; and group 2 consisted of nine patients wi th no obvious cause of acute pancreatitis. Non-breath-hold MRCP using the h alf-Fourier, single-shot, fast spin-echo imaging method was performed withi n 7 days after the onset of pancreatitis. Abnormal union of the pancreatico biliary junction was detected in six of seven group 1 patients and in one o f nine group 2 patients. Pancreatic divisum was detected in one patient of group 1, but could not be confirmed in one patient of group 2. Dilatation o f the main pancreatic duct was detected in one patient of group 1 and in th ree patients of group 2. Our results suggest that MRCP is a useful, noninva sive method of identifying and ruling out SAPBT as a cause of acute pancrea titis in children with early-stage pancreatitis.