Analysis of biliary drainage in the caudate lobe of the liver: comparison of three-dimensional CT cholangiography and rotating cine cholangiography.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the bile duct anatomy of the caudate lobe without disease involvement with use of three-dimensional (3D) cholangiography and to compare the usefulness of this technique with that of rotating cine cholangiography.


METHODS
In 12 patients with obstructive jaundice but without lesions at the hepatic hilum who underwent percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage, serial examination was performed with cine cholangiography and helical computed tomography (CT). From helical CT scans, 3D cholangiograms were reconstructed. Cine and 3D cholangiograms were evaluated and compared simultaneously.


RESULTS
In the 12 patients, 40 branches of the caudate lobe were detected with 3D cholangiography (mean, 3.3 branches per patient), while 31 were detected with cine cholangiography (mean, 2.6 branches per patient). The difference in detection rate was significant (P < .01). Nine (23%) of 40 branches were detected with 3D cholangiography alone, and all 31 branches detected with cine cholangiography were also detected with 3D cholangiography.


CONCLUSIONS
3D cholangiography was superior to cine cholangiography in assessment of bile duct anatomy of the caudate lobe of the liver because 3D cholangiography eliminated the overlap of different branches of the bile duct.
Furukawa
H
H
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Sano
K
K
Kosuge
T
T
Shimada
K
K
Yamamoto
J
J
Ishii
H
H
Iwata
R
R
Ushio
K
K
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D001646:Bile / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002758:Cholangiography / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002933:Cineradiography / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*