title: 3 T MR cholangiopancreatography appearances of biliary ascariasis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the 3 T MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) appearances of biliary ascariasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine patients with a MRCP diagnosis of biliary ascariasis were reviewed. All patients had endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or surgical confirmation of the disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On thin-slab MRCP imaging, Ascaris worms are clearly demarcated within the biliary tree. All the identified worms demonstrated a characteristic three-parallel-lines appearance. The middle high-signal intensity line is sandwiched between two low-signal intensity lines and they are in turn surrounded by high signal bile. On thick-slab MRCP the worms also show the three-line sign but with less clarity. However, thick-slab MRCP has the advantage of providing three-dimensional ERCP-like images of the pancreaticobiliary system.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The "three-line" sign appears to be a characteristic sign of biliary ascariasis on 3 T MRCP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou, China. hangzhoudzx73@126.com
authors.forename: Z X
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001196:Ascariasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017164:Ascaris lumbricoides; D001660:Biliary Tract Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D049448:Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance / Q000379:methods*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult