Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) of intraductal papillary-mucinous tumors.
Method: Thirteen patients with intraductal papillary-mucinous tumors were examined by breath-hold MRCP using a half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin echo (HASTE) sequence with a body phased-array coil.
Results: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and MRCP completely imaged the entire main pancreatic duct in 12 and in all 13 patients, respectively. ERCP demonstrated the whole opacification of the cystic lesion in only one patient. MRCP depicted the whole of the cystic lesion in all 11 patients who had cystic lesions. ERCP and MRCP source images depicted a communicating duct between the main pancreatic duct and the cystic lesion in 8 and in all 11 patients, respectively. ERCP depicted papillary projections in the main pancreatic ducts in two patients. MRCP source images depicted papillary projections in the main pancreatic ducts or cystic lesions in five patients.
Conclusion: MRCP may be more useful to reveal the main pancreatic duct, cystic lesion, communicating duct between the main pancreatic duct and cystic lesion, and papillary projections than ERCP in patients with intraductal papillary-mucinous tumors of the pancreas.