title: Magnetic resonance imaging of retroperitoneal interfascial plane involvement in acute pancreatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To study the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of acute pancreatitis (AP) involving the retroperitoneal interfascial planes and to analyze the correlations of interfascial plane involvement with the magnetic resonance severity index (MRSI) and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) scoring system.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 316 consecutive patients with AP between November 2011 and August 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. The extension and path of the inflammation spreading along the retroperitoneal interfascial plane on MRI were graded from grade 0 to grade 5. The relationships between interfascial plane involvement and MRSI and APACHE II were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 316 patients with AP, 293 patients (92.7%) had interfascial plane involvement, which appeared as interfascial plane edema, thickening and effusion. There were 60, 105, 78, 25, and 25 patients in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Interfascial plane involvement strongly correlated with the MRSI score (r=0.703), but was only weakly correlated with the APACHE-II score (r=0.291).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MRI depicts the characteristics of interfascial plane involvement in AP. The value of interfascial plane involvement for determining the disease severity is likely to be limited.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai 264000, China ;
authors.forename: Xiao-Xiao
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.affiliation: Sichuan Key laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong 637000, China ;
authors.forename: Tian-Wu
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Sichuan Key laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong 637000, China ;
authors.forename: Xiao-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Sichuan Key laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong 637000, China ;
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Sichuan Key laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong 637000, China ;
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Yì-Xiáng J
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Wáng
authors.affiliation: Sichuan Key laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong 637000, China ;
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Sichuan Key laboratory of Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong 637000, China ;
authors.forename: Xiao-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zhang
keywords: Pancreas; acute pancreatitis (AP); interfascial planes; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); renal fascia