Hua Wang, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Xiaoying Wang MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Xuexiang Jiang MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To determine the usefulness of diffusion-weighted echo-planar MR imaging(DW-EPI) in detecting mild acute pancreatitis.

Fourteen patients (age range 36-61 years; mean 48 years) who were suspected of mild acute pancreatitis by clinical presentation and elevation of serum or urinary pancreatic amylase (PAMY) level (serum PAMY level>115IU/L, urinary PAMY level >1000IU/L) were enrolled in this study. Among them, 11 patients were demonstrated pancreatitis and 3 were excluded by clinical course. DW-EPI were performed in these patients and 11 normal controls (age range 31-81 years; mean 55 years) with the following parameters: b=500s/mm2; TR/TE 3000/55.5ms; slice thickness 8mm; matrix 128×128. Conventional T1 and T2 weighted imaging were scanned simultaneously. ADCs of pancreas were measured in DWI at workstation. At the same time, Signal intensities (SI) of pancreas and spleen were measured in DWI and conventional MR images. The relative SI of the pancreas (SIr) was calculated by following formula: SIr= (SIp-SIs) /SIs (SIp refers to SI of pancreas and SIs refers to SI of spleen). The SIr and ADCs of pancreas in the patients with clinical demonstrated pancreatitis were compared with those in controls using Mann-Whitney test.

No obvious abnormalities could be found on conventional MR images of all patients. The mean ADCs of pancreas(1.41×10-3mm2/s±0.11) in pancreatitis was significantly lower (p0.05) from those in controls.

Diffusion-weighted echo-planar MR imaging may be useful in detecting mild acute pancreatitis.

Wang, H, Wang, X, Jiang, X, Detection of Mild Acute Pancreatitis with Diffusion-weighted Echo-planar MR Imaging: Preliminary Study.  Radiological Society of North America 2005 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 27 - December 2, 2005 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2005/4418204.html