Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography: comparison of respiratory-triggered three-dimensional fast-recovery fast spin-echo with parallel imaging technique and breath-hold half-Fourier two-dimensional single-shot fast spin-echo technique.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to compare magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) using respiratory-triggered (resp) three-dimensional Fourier transformation (3D) fast-recovery fast spin echo (FR-FSE) sequence with array spatial sensitivity technique (ASSET) for visualization of the pancreatobiliary system with breath-hold single thick-section and multiple thin-section MRCP using 2D single shot FSE (SSFSE) sequences.


METHODS
Forty patients underwent MRCP for evaluation of pancreatobiliary abnormalities in a 1.5-T magnet. Imaging time for resp 3D FR-FSE was recorded. The ghosting and blurring artifacts, overall image quality, and delineation of the pancreatobiliary ducts were evaluated using a five-point scale.


RESULTS
On multisection 2D SSFSE source images, there were the least ghosting artifacts (4.9 +/- 0.3, P < 0.05). Ghosting (3.4 +/- 0.6, P < 0.05) and blurring (4.4 +/- 0.8; P < 0.05) artifacts were the most prominent on resp 3D FR-FSE. 3D FR-FSE MRCP provided the highest rating of overall image quality (4.3 +/- 0.8, P < 0.05) and delineation of third- and second-order branches of the hepatic ducts (2.9 +/- 1.6 for third-order branches and 3.9 +/- 1.3 for second-order branches, P < 0.05). Extrahepatic bile ducts, including upper and middle portions and cystic and pancreatic ducts, were also better seen with resp 3D FR-FSE MRCP than others.


CONCLUSIONS
MRCP with resp 3D FR-FSE using ASSET can be routinely used for acquiring information from the pancreatobiliary system.
Masui
Takayuki
T
Department of Radiology, Seirei Hamamatsu General Hospital, 2-12-12 Sumiyoshi, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 430-8558, Japan. masui@sis.seirei.or.jp
Katayama
Motoyuki
M
Kobayashi
Shigeru
S
Nozaki
Atsushi
A
Sugimura
Masayoshi
M
Ikeda
Mitsuru
M
Sakahara
Harumi
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016477:Artifacts; D049448:Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena