ROLE OF MAGNETIC RESONANC CHOLANGIOPANCREATICOGIAPHY (MRCP) IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF BILIARY DISEASES

Abstract

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreaticography (MRCP) is a crucial development in the field of MR imaging techniques. Since being advocated by German researcher Wallner et al. in 1991, MRCP has become a new non-invasive method of diagnosing pancreatico-biliary system diseases.

MRCP based on heavily T2 weighted sequences , so the fluid signals from the biliary and pancreatic ducts are hyper intense , whereas, the signals from background tissues are hypo intense enabling excellent depiction of the pancreaticobiliary system. MRCP technique has a variety of pulse sequences including:GRE, FSE, RARE and HASTE sequences . Also MRCP as a technique was broadly classified into breath-hold and a non breath-hold techniques according to the method used to overcome the motion artifacts.

The quality of the MRCP images can be degraded by some factors including, massive ascites , marked obesity and inability to maintain I breath holding.

I The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of MRCP as a rather I recent rapidly developing non invasive technique in the evaluation of different biliary disorders.

This study was conducted on 45 patients, 23 males and 22 females,

Their age ranged between 4 months and 73 years, with mean age of 40 I years.