EVALUATION OF OBSTRUCTIVE JAUNDICE BY MAGNETIC RESONANCE CHOLANGIOPANCREATOGRAPHY "MRCP" IN CORRELATION WITH THE SURGICAL RESULTS

Abstract

Calcular and malignant obstructive jaundice are the most common causes of biliary obstruction in our patients. MRCP plays an important role in diagnosis of obstructive jaundice, which can result from gallstones, malignant or benign strictures of the bile ducts. MR imaging of the bile ducts in the coronal plane demonstrates the specific site of obstruction and dilated intra­ hepatic and extra-hepatic bile ducts proximal to the obstruction. There is good contrast between the dilated bile ducts and the surrounding liver tissue; so that, they appear to be structures of high signal intensity compared with the surrounding liver because the CE-AST sequence can 'display only fluid in a static state such as bile, as a signal of high intensity. MRCP can distinguish malignancy from impacted stones due to the characteristic shape of obstruction. We can conclude that MRCP is an evolving rapid, accurate and non-invasive means for evaluation of biliopancreatic ductal system and can provide early similar diagnostic informations about biliary obstruction as that provided with direct cholangiography, even in elderly or debilitated patients. Thanks to the recent fast non-breath-hold protocols.