Pancreatic perfusion: noninvasive quantitative assessment with dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging without and with secretin stimulation in healthy volunteers--initial results.
OBJECTIVE
To prospectively quantify pancreatic regional perfusion with dynamic contrast material-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging by using a one-compartment model and to assess perfusion changes during secretin stimulation in healthy volunteers.


METHODS
The study had institutional review board approval, and written informed consent was obtained. Ten healthy volunteers (five men, five women; mean age, 24.7 years +/- 1.9 [standard deviation]; range, 22-29 years) underwent MR imaging pancreatic perfusion studies performed twice without secretin and twice during secretin stimulation. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging consisted of saturation-recovery T1-weighted turbo-field-echo imaging with peripheral pulse triggering and respiratory tracking. A dose of 0.05 mmol gadodiamide per kilogram of body weight was injected at a rate of 3.5 mL/sec. Regional perfusion parameters were fitted with a one-compartment model. The analysis of variance test for repeated measurements was used to assess differences in pancreatic perfusion without and that with secretin administration.


RESULTS
Significant differences in perfusion parameters between the three pancreatic regions were observed (P < .05). During secretin stimulation, a significant difference was observed only between the body and the tail of the pancreas (P = .02). A significant increase (P = .003) in pancreatic perfusion was observed after secretin administration. Mean pancreatic perfusion was 184 mL/min/100 g of tissue +/- 71, 207 mL/min/100 g +/- 77, and 230 mL/min/100 g +/- 87 without secretin and 342 mL/min/100 g +/- 154, 338 mL/min/100 g +/- 156, and 373 mL/min/100 g +/- 176 after secretin stimulation in the head, body, and tail of the pancreas, respectively. Intraindividual variability was 21% without secretin stimulation and 46% with secretin stimulation.


CONCLUSIONS
Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging enables noninvasive quantification of regional pancreatic perfusion in resting conditions and demonstrates the increase in pancreatic perfusion during secretin stimulation in healthy subjects.
Bali
Maria Antonietta
MA
Departments of Radiology and Gastroenterology, Erasme Hospital, and IRIBHN, Statistical Unit, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Brussels, Belgium. mbali@ulb.ac.be
Metens
Thierry
T
Denolin
Vincent
V
De Maertelaer
Viviane
V
Devière
Jacques
J
Matos
Celso
C
D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000098:blood supply*; D010186:Pancreatic Function Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D012633:Secretin
D003287:Contrast Media; D012633:Secretin; C064925:gadodiamide; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA