MR cholangiopancreatography: comparison between half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo and two-dimensional turbo spin-echo pulse sequences.

BACKGROUND

To compare half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo spin-echo (HASTE) magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) with two-dimensional turbo spin-echo (2D TSE) MRCP for imaging pancreatobiliary diseases.

METHODS

Twenty-seven patients with biliary or pancreatic disease underwent MRCP on a 1.0-T scanner with a body phased-array coil. A T2-weighted HASTE sequence (18 s) and a T2-weighted 2D TSE sequence (45 s) were used during a breath-hold by the patient. The source images and maximum intensity projection images of both sequences were reviewed independently by two radiologists.

RESULTS

Motion artifacts were more severely pronounced with 2D TSE sequences than with HASTE sequences (p < 0.001). All obstructions and their sites were accurately identified with both sequences. Filling defects (calculi) in bile ducts were identified in all 22 segments (100%) with HASTE-MRCP, whereas calculi in 19 of 22 segments (86%) were identified with 2D TSE-MRCP (p = 0.25). Three missed sites on 2D TSE-MRCP were intrahepatic bile ducts.

CONCLUSIONS

HASTE-MRCP is superior to 2D TSE-MRCP in terms of detecting motion artifacts and visualization of the pancreatic ducts. HASTE-MRCP is comparable to 2D TSE-MRCP for visualization of the biliary ducts and their obstruction and is superior to 2D TSE-MRCP for identification of calculi in intrahepatic bile ducts.