Pancreatic adenocarcinoma: combination of MR imaging, MR angiography and MR cholangiopancreatography for the diagnosis

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma: combination of MR imaging, MR angiography and MR cholangiopancreatography for the diagnosis

7 Novembre 2014

The purpose of this study was to determine the possibility of integrating MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and MR angiography (MRA) to
conventional MR images in the diagnosis and assessment of resectability of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Twenty-three patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma were prospectively examined with MR. Conventional MR images were acquired in all patients. Three-dimensional MRCP and MRA images were acquired in all patients with suspected biliary and vascular involvement. Acquisition time was less than 45 min in all cases. Images were independently evaluated by two radiologists, with final reading decided by consensus among readers. Diagnosis was confirmed with surgery in 16 patients and with percutaneous biopsy in 7. Concordance among readers was high with a kappa value of 0.83. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma was observed in all patients.