title: Main pancreatic duct: morphlogy after acute biliary pancreatitis with magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography after secretin stimulation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to assess whether a magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography performed after an acute biliary pancreatitis leads to pancreatic morphological alterations and if secretin stimulation influences the visualization of the pancreatic tree.
  
  
  METHODS
  forty patients with acute biliary pancreatitis, 25 female (62,5/) and 15 male (37,5/), 27 mild and 13 severe, were prospectively and consecutively studied. All patients had undergone cholecystectomy. No altered pancreatic functions were observed. Morphology of the pancreas and of the main pancreatic duct were assessed by magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography five years after the episode of pancreatitis and a comparative study between patients and case controls was carried out. Secretin was given in 16 cases in whom the visualization of the duct was incomplete or absent. Ductal morphology before and after secretin stimulation was compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  significant differences were observed when the diameter and length of the main pancreatic duct were compared in patients and control cases and was completely visualized in 60% of the cases, and could be seen in all patients after secretin stimulation. The comparative statistical analysis of the length and diameter of the pancreatic duct before and after the secretin stimulation showed significant differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  acute biliary pancreatitis leads to morphological alterations, regarded as scar lesions which do not become chronic. Secretin stimulation improves the visualization of the main pancreatic duct.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General y Aparato Digestivo. Hospital General Universitario. Valencia, Spain. eugeniapareja@wanadoo.es
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pareja
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Artigues
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mir
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fabra
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trullenque
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology; D010183:Pancreatic Ducts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D019283:Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012633:Secretin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012633:Secretin