title: Regional and global pancreatic T*2 MRI for iron overload assessment in a large cohort of healthy subjects: normal values and correlation with age and gender.
abstract: Multiecho gradient-echo T*2 magnetic resonance imaging is a well-established technique for iron overload assessment but there are few reports concerning the pancreas. The aim of this work was to assess the feasibility and reproducibility of the magnetic resonance imaging for measuring pancreatic regional and global T*2 values, to establish the lower limit of normal in a large cohort of healthy subjects and to correlate the measured values with age and gender. One hundred and twenty healthy subjects (61 males, 51±17 years) underwent magnetic resonance imaging (1.5T) using a multiecho gradient-echo T*2 sequence. T*2 measurements were performed in pancreatic head, body, and tail. The global value was calculated as the mean. Measurement of pancreatic T*2 values was feasible in all subjects. For the T*2 global value the coefficient of variation for intraoperator and interoperator reproducibility were 7.7% and 13%, respectively. The global T*2 values ranged from 24 to 52 ms with the lower limit of normal of 26 ms. There were no significant differences among the regional pancreatic T*2 values. No significant correlation was found between T*2 and patient age or gender. In conclusion, pancreatic T*2 measurements appear to be feasible, reproducible, nontime-consuming and reliable. Gender- and age-related differences concerning pancreatic T*2 were not found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, John Paul II Catholic University, Campobasso, Italy.
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Restaino
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meloni
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Positano
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Missere
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Calandriello
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Keilberg
authors.forename: Oreste
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mattioni
authors.forename: Aurelio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maggio
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sallustio
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pepe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology*; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult