Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography: Diagnostic Role in Evaluating Pancreaticobiliary Abnormalities

Background: Accurate methods of detecting pancreaticobiliary diseases for planning an effective management reveal a real need for less invasive and highly sensitive diagnostic procedure.Aim: highlighting the MRCP role in evaluating pancreaticobiliary abnormalities.Methods: The present study included sixty participants; a study group (42 symptomatic patients) and a control group (18 normal volunteers)- investigated with MRCP at AlAhrar teaching hospital, Sharkia, from June2022 to April2023.Results: We detected 90.48% of the symptomatic patients having peripheral bile tracts dilatation, where 88.1%, 90.48 and 78.57% had RHD, LHD and CHD dilatation respectively; with 73.81% had CBD dilatation. 33.33% had cholelithiasis whereas 19% showed cholecystitis, 30.95% had CBD stones with 7.14% had inserted CBD stents due to biliary stones whereas 38.1% of patients had neoplastic entities. In comparison to ERCP as a gold standard, MRCP- as regards the diagnosis of biliary stones- shows 100%sensitivity, 94.74%specificity, 92.31% PPV, 100% NPV with an overall diagnostic accuracy of 96.77%. Whereas, MRCP gave for the diagnosis of benign biliary strictures 85.71% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% PPV, 94.74% NPV with an overall accuracy of 96%. Conclusion: MRCP is a noninvasive diagnostic tool with a pivotal diagnostic role of pancreaticobiliary disorders. Abbreviations: MRCP: Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, MRI: Magnetic resonance, DWI: Diffusion weighted imaging, SI: signal intensity, T1WI: T1 weighted image, T2WI: T2 weighted image, GB: gall bladder, CBD: common bile duct, CHD: common hepatic duct, RHD: right hepatic duct, LHD: left hepatic duct, IHBRD: intrahepatic biliary radicles dilatation, PD: pancreatic duct.