Pancreas divisum: evaluation with MR cholangiopancreatography.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the usefulness of magnetic resonance (MR) cholangiopancreatography in the diagnosis of pancreas divisum.


METHODS
In 310 patients, MR imaging was performed with heavily T2-weighted, two-dimensional, fast-spin-echo sequences. A body coil was used for 139 patients, and a torso multicoil and high-resolution imaging parameters were used for 171 patients. In 108 patients, correlation with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was available.


RESULTS
Two hundred sixty-eight examinations (86%) were diagnostic. Pancreas divisum was observed with MR imaging in 25 of 268 cases (9%)(interobserver agreement, 98% [kappa = .88]). Among the 171 examinations performed with a torso multicoil, 10% were nondiagnostic and the rate of detection of pancreas divisum was 12%. Pancreas divisum was depicted in six of the 108 patients who underwent ERCP, and there were no false-negative or false-positive MR imaging results in these patients.


CONCLUSIONS
MR cholangiopancreatography is an accurate tool in the diagnosis of pancreas divisum and could replace ERCP.
Bret
P M
PM
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Montreal General Hospital, Quebec, Canada.
Reinhold
C
C
Taourel
P
P
Guibaud
L
L
Atri
M
M
Barkun
A N
AN
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010179:Pancreas / Q000002:abnormalities*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity