Diagnostic value of multislice computed tomography for pancreas divisum: assessment with oblique coronal reconstruction images.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the capabilities of high-resolution oblique coronal reconstruction images obtained by multislice computed tomography (CT) in diagnosing pancreas divisum.

METHODS

This study included 11 patients with and 53 without pancreas divisum confirmed by direct cholangiopancreatography. Two blinded readers retrospectively interpreted oblique coronal reconstruction images with 0.5-mm continuous slices generated from isotropic or nearly isotropic pancreatic phase images with the scrolling mode and assessed the continuity of the ventral pancreatic duct, dorsal pancreatic duct, and main pancreatic duct in the body. The results were correlated with the findings of direct cholangiopancreatography. Other abnormal findings of the pancreatobiliary region on CT were also recorded in patients with pancreas divisum.

RESULTS

The sensitivity and specificity of CT for diagnosing pancreas divisum were 100% and 89%, respectively. Computed tomography demonstrated all associated pancreatobiliary diseases.

CONCLUSION

High-resolution oblique coronal reconstruction images allow us to make a diagnosis of pancreas divisum by depicting the continuity of the pancreatic ducts.