title: Gallbladder patterns in acute pancreatitis: an MRI study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the gallbladder patterns on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) associated with acute pancreatitis (AP).
  
  
  METHODS
  There were 197 patients with AP, all of whom had undergone abdominal MRI. AP was categorized as either edematous or necrotizing according to its findings on MRI and graded as mild (0-3 points), moderate (4-6 points), or severe (7-10 points) according to the magnetic resonance severity index. The changes to the walls and dimensions of the gallbladder and common bile duct, in addition to the presence of biliary stones and pericholecystic fluid, were noted and compared with the severity of AP on the basis of the magnetic resonance severity index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 197 patients with AP, 81% were classified as edematous and 19% as necrotizing on MRI. There were 35%, 59%, and 6% of patients with mild, moderate, and severe AP according to the magnetic resonance severity index, respectively. Seventy-six percent of patients had at least one gallbladder abnormality on MRI, including a thickened gallbladder wall (42%), pericholecystic fluid (38%), gallbladder stones (35%), an enlarged gallbladder (24%), dilatation of the common bile duct (16%), and subserosal edema (15%). Eighty-nine percent of patients (34 of 38) with necrotizing AP had gallbladder abnormalities, which was significantly higher than the 72% of patients (115 of 159) with edematous AP (P < .05). The prevalence of gallbladder abnormalities was 64% in patients with mild AP, 81% in those with moderate AP, and 91% in those with severe AP (P < .05 among the three groups).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most patients with AP have gallbladder abnormalities on MRI, including a thickened gallbladder wall and pericholecystic fluid. The prevalence of gallbladder abnormalities has a positive correlation with the severity of AP on MRI.
authors.affiliation: Sichuan Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Wenhua Road 63, Nanchong 637000, China.
authors.forename: Yi Fan
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Xiao Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xing Hui
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zong Lin
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.forename: Xiao Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhao Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Zhai
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D049448:Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005705:Gallbladder Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019283:Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult