Gallstone disease MRI

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Hadeel Maksoud M.D.[2]

Overview

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cholangiography is a technique used to visualize gallstones in the biliary apparatus. Recently, noninvasive magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) has been used to visualize gallstones that travel outside the gallbladder and into the surrounding biliary ducts and pancreas.

MRI

With or without contrast material, MRI is able to show the bile in the bile ducts from many different angles and can be as good a modality for detecting stones in the bile ducts as ultrasound imaging, excluding the much more interventional transhepatic cholangiogram.^[1]
Problems with MRI include limited availability in certain areas, limited cholangiographic skills and experience, and relatively high costs.

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is an imaging technique that uses magnetic resonance imaging to visualize the biliary and pancreatic ducts in a non-invasive manner.^[2]^[3]^[4]
This procedure can help determine if gallstones are lodged in any of the ducts surrounding the gallbladder.

References

↑ Gurusamy KS, Giljaca V, Takwoingi Y, Higgie D, Poropat G, Štimac D, Davidson BR (2015). “Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography versus intraoperative cholangiography for diagnosis of common bile duct stones”. Cochrane Database Syst Rev (2): CD010339. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010339.pub2. PMID 25719222.
↑ Prasad SR, Sahani D, Saini S (2001). “Clinical applications of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography”. J. Clin. Gastroenterol. 33 (5): 362–6. PMID 11606850.
↑ Machi J, Tateishi T, Oishi AJ, Furumoto NL, Oishi RH, Uchida S, Sigel B (1999). “Laparoscopic ultrasonography versus operative cholangiography during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: review of the literature and a comparison with open intraoperative ultrasonography”. J. Am. Coll. Surg. 188 (4): 360–7. PMID 10195719.
↑ Videhult P, Sandblom G, Rasmussen IC (2009). “How reliable is intraoperative cholangiography as a method for detecting common bile duct stones? : A prospective population-based study on 1171 patients”. Surg Endosc. 23 (2): 304–12. doi:10.1007/s00464-008-9883-2. PMID 18398646.

Overview