So Yeon Kim MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Jae Ho Byun MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Seong Ho Park MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Moon-Gyu Lee MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To evaluate the accuracy for depicting bile duct anatomy and the quality of biliary tract visualization of MR cholangiography (MRC) at a field strength of 3.0 T in living potential liver donors (LPLDs) compared with a field strength of 1.5 T intraindividually.

Thirty-five LPLDs underwent both 1.5- and 3.0-T MRC within 2 hours. The MRC protocol included breath-hold single-slice rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE) and respiratory-triggered 3D turbo spin-echo (TSE) T2-weighted sequence with maximum intensity projections. Image analysis was performed by two independent reviewers with 2 weeks intervals according to MRC sequences and field strengths respectively. Analysis included delineation of the biliary anatomy and scoring the degree of visualization of all first- and second-order biliary branches with a 4-point scale and the number of visible third-order branches. In all 35 LPLDs, intraoperative cholangiography was used as the reference standard to determine the biliary anatomy.

In all 35 LPLDs, 3T MRC correctly depicted the biliary anatomy in 88.6 and 85.7 % on combined analysis of both sequences, 85.7 and 82.9 % on RARE sequence, and 82.9 and 74.3 % on 3D TSE sequence for reader 1 and 2, respectively. 3T MRC depicted biliary anatomy more accurately than did 1.5T MRC which showed 82.9 and 82.9 % accuracy on combined analysis of both sequences, 77.1 and 74.3 % on RARE sequence, and 80.0 and 82.9 % on 3D TSE sequence for reader 1 and 2, separately, even though the differences were statistically insignificant. The mean second-order branch visualization score (2.26 vs. 1.89, p<0.01 and 2.57 vs. 2.18, p<0.01, for reader 1 and 2, respectively) and the mean number of visible third-order branches (5.35 vs. 4.26, p<0.01 and 5.91 vs. 4.17, p<0.01) on RARE sequence were significantly higher in 3T MRC than 1.5T MRC.

Compared with MRC at 1.5 T, MRC at 3.0 T is feasible with equivalent diagnostic accuracy and better visualization of bile ducts for depicting biliary anatomy in LPLDs.

MRC at 3.0 T can serve as a successful method for depicting the biliary tract anatomy in LPLDs with better visualization of intrahepatic bile ducts than 1.5-T MRC.

Kim, S, Byun, J, Park, S, Lee, M, Biliary Tract Depiction in Living Potential Liver Donors with MR Cholangiography at 3 T: Intraindividual Comparative Study with MR Cholangiography at 1.5 T.  Radiological Society of North America 2007 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 25 - November 30, 2007 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2007/5012390.html