[Nuclear magnetic resonance cholangiography in biliary disease. Prospective study in 60 patients].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate a new MR cholangiography sequence, with thick slices, single shot fast spin echo (SSFSE) in biliary obstructive diseases.


METHODS
This study included 60 patients (36 males and 24 females, mean age: 69 years) with cholestatic syndrome and suspected bile duct obstruction. All patients were prospectively investigated with MR cholangiography using SSFSE sequence with thick slices. The gold standard was ERCP (n = 47), per cutaneous cholangiography (n = 1), and surgical intervention (n = 12). According to this gold standard, 22 patients had obstructive gallstones, 23 had neoplastic obstruction, eight had inflammatory or postoperative stenosis and 7 had normal bile ducts.


RESULTS
The sensitivity and specificity of MR cholangiography were 100 and 94% in the diagnosis of obstructive gallstones, and 95 and 97% in the diagnosis of neoplastic obstruction, respectively. A good agreement was observed between MR cholangiography and the gold standard, regardless of the site of obstruction (range of kappa value: 0.79-1).


CONCLUSIONS
MR cholangiography with SSFSE sequence is an effective and easy technique. Acquisition of thick slices in a very short time (< 2 sec) limits cardiorespiratory artefacts and eliminates the need for post-processing.
Service de chirurgie viscérale, CHU d'Angers, France.
C
C
Cervi
C
C
Aube
J J
JJ
Tuech
P
P
Pessaux
N
N
Regenet
P
P
Burtin
J P
JP
Arnaud
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001660:Biliary Tract Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D002758:Cholangiography / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity