Comparative study of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Findings versus Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography in detection of lesions of the biliary tree in patients with common bile duct dilatation

Background and aim: There are different modalities that aid in diagnosing common bile duct (CBD) pathologies as Endoscopic-retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), intraoperative cholangiography, computerized tomography (CT) cholangiography and/or Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). Purpose: to compare ERCP Findings versus MRCP in diagnosing the cause of CBD dilatation.Methods: The study was a prospective descriptive comparative study that included fifty patients submitted to ERCP in Fayoum University Hospital from February 2020 to September 2021Results: The causes of biliary obstruction by ERCP are: 20 cases (40%) due to stones, 18 cases (36%) due to stricture, 7 cases (14%) due to both stricture and stones within the CBD, 1 case (2%) mass, 1 case (2%) slipped suture after cholecystectomy, 1 case (2%) is due to CBD tear after cholecystectomy, 1 case (2%) stricture and mud and 1 case (2%) stricture and pus. The sensitivity of MRCP in detection of stones, strictures and masses is 85.19%, 62.96% and 100% respectively while specificity is 95.65%, 100% and 100% respectivelyConclusion: MRCP is a highly specific and sensitive modality for identifying various CBD pathologies, with the exception of biliary strictures, where its sensitivity is lower (62.96%) (P value < 0.001).