Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI of the pancreas: initial results in healthy volunteers and patients with chronic pancreatitis.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize pancreatic perfusion in volunteers and patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) by dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI.


METHODS
Pancreatic enhancement after bolus injection of Gd-DTPA with a three-dimensional ultrafast partial-Fourier radiofrequency (RF) spoiled gradient-echo (GE) acquisition was examined prospectively. An acquisition volume of the pancreatic parenchyma was obtained every 4.2 seconds during a single breath-hold in 31 volunteers and 19 patients with CP. We calculated the wash-in rate and a newly defined parameter, the "time-to-inflow deceleration" (TID). A statistical analysis of the differences between both groups was performed with the use of Student's t-test.


RESULTS
Significant differences in the TID and wash-in rate were found for the head and body of the pancreas: the TID was 22.4 sec +/- 4.4 sec and 23.5 sec +/- 6.1 sec in the pancreatic head and body of the healthy volunteers, and 29.8 sec +/- 8.6 sec and 29.4 sec +/- 3.8 sec in patients with CP. The wash-in rate was 96 +/- 37 sec(-1) and 101 +/- 27 sec(-1) in controls, and 62 +/- 17 sec(-1) and 75 +/- 27 sec(-1) in CP.


CONCLUSIONS
CP can be identified by semiquantitative changes on DCE-MRI. Whether DCE-MRI of the pancreas can be used to detect early CP remains to be validated.
Coenegrachts
Kenneth
K
Department of Radiology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. kcoenegrachts74@yahoo.com
Van Steenbergen
Werner
W
De Keyzer
Frederik
F
Vanbeckevoort
Dirk
D
Bielen
Didier
D
Chen
Feng
F
Dockx
Steven
S
Maes
Frederik
F
Bosmans
Hilde
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis*
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA