Khoschy Schawkat MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Michael Ith, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Wolfgang Kuhn MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Lauren Bains PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yojena Chittazhathu Kurian Kuruvilla, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Johannes T. Heverhagen MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Speaker, Bracco Group

To prospectively investigate the reproducibility of perfusion measurement of the pancreas using arterial spin labeling (ASL) as well as to quantify effect size and variability during secretin stimulation in healthy volunteers.

Ten healthy volunteers (four men, six women: mean age 28,5±4,6; 25 – 40 years) were investigated with an adapted respiratory-gated flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR)-TrueFISP ASL sequence to determine pancreatic perfusion (3T Verio; Siemens Erlangen, Germany) after fasting for 6h. 80 consecutive ASL data sets were measured for dynamic tracking of the secretin effect in the pancreas. Perfusion was quantitated by averaging 20 sets. The first of the resulting four stacks represented the baseline value (BL) whereas the other 3 stacks (P1 – P3) were measured immediately after secretin injection (1E/kg body weight). To investigate repeatability of pancreatic perfusion each volunteer was studied twice with an interval of 1 week between measurements.

Mean BL perfusion was 285±96 ml/100g/min with an intraindividual variability of 14,4% for repeated measurements. After secretin stimulation (P1) pancreas perfusion significantly (p<0.05) increased by 81% to 486±156 ml/100g/min. This effect showed an intraindividual variability of 63%.

Dynamic non-invasive ASL imaging of the pancreas permits to quantify pancreas perfusion in a clinically applicable setting with good reproducibility for BL measurements. After secretin stimulation healthy volunteers showed a significant increase of pancreas perfusion with reasonable reproducibility. Whether this effect can be clinically used for diagnostic purposes remains a goal for future studies.

Perfusion measurements with ASL sequences renders a promising method to differentiate pancreatic disorders especially in elderly patients without the risk associated with the invasive alternatives.

Schawkat, K, Ith, M, Kuhn, W, Bains, L, Chittazhathu Kurian Kuruvilla, Y, Heverhagen, J, Dynamic Non Invasive ASL Perfusion Imaging of the Pancreas to Investigate the Effect of Secretin.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14014542.html