title: Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in asymptomatic pancreatic hyperenzymemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the type and frequency of pancreatic lesions detected by magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) in subjects with asymptomatic pancreatic hyperenzymemia and to assess for a possible relationship between these lesions and the hyperenzymemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2005 to May 2008, 63 subjects with asymptomatic pancreatic hyperenzymemia were studied by MRCP. In addition, amylase, pancreatic isoamylase, and lipase were determined for 5 consecutive days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In most subjects (n = 57, 90.5%), MRCP showed a normal pancreas. In the remaining 6 subjects (9.5%), the following alterations were found: pancreas divisum in 2, small intrapancreatic cyst in 2, anatomic variant of the Wirsung in 1, and mild dilatation of 3 secondary ducts in 1. In these 6 subjects, hyperenzymemia was highly variable from day to day, with frequent normalizations, as was also true for the 30 subjects with no MRCP alterations in whom diurnal enzyme determinations were made.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the subjects with asymptomatic pancreatic hyperenzymemia did not have pancreatic lesions detectable by MRCP. In the few subjects in whom a lesion was found, the great variability and the frequent transient normalization of serum enzyme levels tend to exclude a relation between the lesion and the hyperenzymemia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Internal Medicine, Sant'Orsola Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. lucio.gullo@unibo.it
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gullo
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lucrezio
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Calculli
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salizzoni
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coe
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Migliori
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Casadei
authors.forename: Pier Lorenzo
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nesticò
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood*; D049448:Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007517:Isoamylase / Q000097:blood*; D008049:Lipase / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000201:enzymology; D011859:Radiography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008049:Lipase; D000681:Amylases; D007517:Isoamylase