title: Differential diagnosis of benign and malignant intraductal papillary mucinous tumors of the pancreas: MR cholangiopancreatography and MR angiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the usefulness of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and MR angiography (MRA) in differentiating malignant from benign intraductal papillary mucinous tumors of the pancreas (IPMTs), and to determine the findings which suggest malignancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a 6-year period, 46 patients with IPMT underwent MRCP. Morphologically, tumor type was classified as main duct, branch duct, or combined. The diameter of the main pancreatic duct (MPD), the extent of the dilated MPD, and the location and size of the cystic lesion, septum, and communicating channel were assessed. For all types of IPMTs, enhanced mural nodules and portal vein narrowing were evaluated at MRA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Combined-type IPMTs were more frequently malignant (78%) than benign (42%) (p < 0.05). Compared with benign lesions, malignant lesions were larger, and the caliber of the communicating channel was also larger (p < 0.05). Their dilated MPD was more extensive and of greater diameter (p < 0.05), and the presence of mural nodules was more frequent (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined MRCP and MRA might be useful for the differential diagnosis of malignant and benign IPMTs of the pancreas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. tkkim@amc.seoul.kr
authors.forename: Byung Se
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Tae Kyoung
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ah Young
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyoung Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Pyo Nyun
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyun Kwon
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Moon-Gyu
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Song Cheol
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003287:Contrast Media; D018291:Cystadenoma, Mucinous / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018292:Cystadenoma, Papillary / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA