MR cholangiography for evaluation of hilar branching anatomy in transplantation of the right hepatic lobe from a living donor.
OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to determine the utility of 3D T2 MR cholangiography (MRC) for biliary visualization and predicting the number of ductal orifices during right lobe harvesting for ductal anastomosis in liver donors for right lobe transplantation.


METHODS
This study was composed of 33 donors who underwent right lobectomy for transplantation. Preoperative MRC techniques included 2D T2 MRC, 3D T2 MRC, and 3D contrast-enhanced T1 MRC. Qualitative analyses were performed for ductal visualization in each technique. The accuracies for predicting the numbers of orifices during right lobe harvesting were evaluated for 2D T2 MRC alone and for various other combined sets. MRI definitions of the predicted number of ductal orifices were compared with surgical findings.


RESULTS
Mean visualization scores of all ducts for 3D T2 MRC were significantly higher than for 2D T2 MRC and 3D contrast-enhanced T1 MRC. In predicting the number of orifices, all combined sets showed significantly higher accuracy than 2D T2 MRC. No significant difference in mean accuracies was observed within the comparison of the combined sets.


CONCLUSIONS
Three-dimensional T2 MRC provided superior biliary visualization than 2D T2 MRC and 3D contrast-enhanced T1 MRC. For predicting the number of orifices, the combined set of 2D and 3D T2 MRC enabled better accuracy than 2D T2 MRC alone and produced comparable results to other combined sets.
Lim
Joon Seok
JS
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yonsei University Health System, 134 Shinchon-dong, Seodaemoon-ku, Seoul 120-752, Republic of Korea.
Kim
Myeong-Jin
MJ
Myoung
Sungmin
S
Park
Mi-Suk
MS
Choi
Jin-Young
JY
Choi
Jin-Sub
JS
Kim
Soon Il
SI
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D049448:Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance / Q000379:methods*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C064572:gadobenic acid; D008536:Meglumine