Keywords:
Diagnostic or prognostic study, Prospective, Dilatation, Diagnostic procedure, MR, Pancreas, Abdomen, Abdominal Viscera, Performed at one institution
Authors:
A. Vicic, P. Popović, M. Garbajs; Ljubljana/SI
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2020/C-11885
Purpose
According to guidelines for diagnostic cross sectional imaging and severity scoring in chronic pancreatitis (CP) published in 2018, the diagnosis of early CP is challenging based on all imaging modalities, including endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), which has been considered to be the golden standard. In adition, ERCP, endoscopic ultrasound and direct pancreatic function tests are invasive and sensitivity of the practical non-invasive tests has been found to be inadequate [1]. No uniform imaging definition for early CP incorporating non-invasive imaging techniques currently exists [1,2,3].
Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) with secretin (MRCP-S) is a non-invasive method that is able to provide morphological changes of the pancreas, specially subtle duct changes as well as to provide us with functional information, such as semi-quantitative assessment of exocrine function. MRCP-S can be particularly relevant in the diagnosis of „probable CP“ according to the M-ANNHEIM diagnostic criteria [3] as well as in the description of early/mild CP.
Therefore, the purpose of this preliminary prospective study was to assess whether MRCP-S can detect patients with early pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI).