Imaging and estimation of the prognostic features of primary sclerosing cholangitis by ultrasonography and MR cholangiography

Purpose: To evaluate the ability of US and MR cholangiography (MRC) to dete ct bile duct changes and prognostic signs of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) seen at endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC). Material and Methods: In a prospective study, 9 patients with PSC underwent US, MRC, MR imaging and ERC of the bile ducts and the liver. Eight age- an d sex-matched control patients were examined with MRC, MR imaging and ERC. A segmental comparison was performed to assess the ability of MRC-MR and US to reveal the accurate ductal involvement in different segments of the bil iary tree and the specific criteria of poor prognostic outcome in PSC. The ability of MRC-MR to detect the presence of PSC in different patients was a nalysed blindly. Results: MRC-MR depicted changes of PSC correctly in 9 patients (radiologis t 1) and in 8 patients with I false-positive finding (radiologist 2) in the blinded analysis. In the segmental comparison, MRC missed especially bile duct dilatations. MRC was too pessimistic in the evaluation of the outcome. US detected features suggestive of PSC in 8 patients (radiologist 3). US w as unable to show the predictors of poor outcome. Conclusion: MRC and US seem to be useful in the detection of PSC. US is una ble and MRC is too pessimistic to estimate the outcome of PSC.