Magnetic resonance cholangiography features of biliary abnormalities due to cavernous transformation of the portal vein.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this retrospective and monocentric study was to describe the magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) features of biliary abnormalities related to extrahepatic obstruction of the portal vein (EHOPV).


METHODS
From September 2001 to May 2003, MRC was performed in 10 consecutive patients who had a portal thrombosis.


RESULTS
Biliary ductal pathology was demonstrated via MRC in nine patients. It consisted of stenoses, ductal narrowing or irregularities involving the common bile duct for three patients with extrahepatic portal vein thrombosis discovered a mean of 1.5 years ago, or involving both right and left intrahepatic bile ducts and common bile duct for six patients with extrahepatic portal vein thrombosis discovered a mean of 16.2 years ago. Dilation of intrahepatic bile ducts was seen for seven patients, four of them having cholestasis. For three patients with symptomatic cholestasis, direct cholangiography (DC) was performed and showed the same findings as MRC which nevertheless overestimated the degree of bile duct stenosis.


CONCLUSIONS
MRC seems to constitute an accurate tool to investigate noninvasively patients with portal biliopathy.
Chevallier
Patrick
P
Department of Radiology, Hôpital Archet, 151 route de Saint Antoine de Ginestière, 06202 Nice Cedex 3, France. chevallier.p@chu-nice.fr
Denys
Alban
A
Novellas
Sebastien
S
Schmidt
Sabine
S
Schnyder
Pierre
P
Bruneton
Jean Noël
JN
D000328:Adult; D001649:Bile Duct Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000473:pathology*; D002758:Cholangiography / Q000379:methods*; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008111:Liver Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000150:complications*