Date: November 2016 Project Types: Body Tags: Gallbladder, MRCP

mrcp Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography MRCP

Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography – MRCP Case Study

History: Female patient had history of abdominal pain from bile duct obstruction

Comparison Study: CT of the abdomen which was done in November 2015 and abdominal ultrasound in 2007

MRCP Exam Technique: Multiplanar images of the biliary tree were obtained without intravenous contrast using the GWIC 1.5T MRI system

Findings:

  • The gallbladder is moderately distended; no gallstones, wall thickening; or pericholecystic fluid is seen.
  • The common bile duct is also moderately distended, measuring up to approximately 11 mm in diameter.  The distal common bile duct tapers in caliber in the pancreatic head, to approximately 1 mm in diameter near the ampulla.  No CBD stone is seen.
  • There is moderate diffuse intrahepatic biliary dilatation seen in the liver.
  • The pancreas appears normal.  No pancreatic mass is seen.  The pancreatic duct is not dilated.
  • The spleen appears normal.
  • The adrenal glands appear normal.
  • There is no renal mass or hydronephrosis seen in the kidneys.  There are two left renal cortical cysts measuring 2.3 cm and 0.6 cm.
  • No evidence of aortic aneurysm is seen.
  • No abdominal lymphadenopathy is present.

Impression: Smooth narrowing of the distal common bile duct.  There is intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary dilatation. No distal CBD stone or pancreatic head mass is seen.  Findings are suggestive of a biliary stricture.  The biliary tree is similar compared to the CT of 11/2015 although was not dilated on the examination from 2007.   There is no evidence of acute pancreatitis. The pancreatic duct is not dilated. No gallstones are seen.