HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) CME Test (opens in a new window) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hoeffel, C. Articles by Tubiana, J.-M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hoeffel, C. Articles by Tubiana, J.-M. Related Collections Magnetic Resonance Imaging Gastrointestinal Radiology

Normal and Pathologic Features of the Postoperative Biliary Tract at 3D MR Cholangiopancreatography and MR Imaging¹

¹ From the Department of Radiology, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, 184 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 75571 Paris Cedex 12, France (C.H., L.A., M.L., L.A., J.M.T.), and Université Paris–Descartes, Faculté de médecine Cochin–Port-Royal, Paris, France (C.H.); Department of Radiology, CHU Nancy-Brabois, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France (V.L.); and Department of Radiology, CHU Angers, Angers, France (C.A.). Presented as an education exhibit at the 2005 RSNA Annual Meeting. Received October 28, 2005; revision requested February 24, 2006; revision received and accepted April 17. All authors have no financial relationships to disclose. Address correspondence to C.H. (e-mail: christine.hoeffel{at}sat.ap-hop-paris.fr).

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with cholangiopancreatographic sequences plays a critical role in evaluating alterations in the biliary tract after surgical procedures such as cholecystectomy, liver transplantation, hepatic resection, and the creation of a biliary-enteric anastomosis. MR cholangiopancreatography, a rapid, noninvasive, and accurate imaging technique for the assessment of early and late complications of hepatobiliary surgery, usually enables the identification of normal and abnormal postoperative changes. In cases of complete obstruction of the bile duct, MR cholangiopancreatography allows analysis of the biliary tract above and below the level of the obstruction, a capability essential for treatment planning and one that is not provided by either endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography or percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography. MR cholangiopancreatography is particularly useful for the evaluation of biliary-enteric anastomoses, for which an endoscopic approach is generally precluded. It also can help detect and localize bile duct strictures and stones and can help accurately classify bile duct injuries. It is useful for detecting bile leaks, although it generally does not directly depict the extravasation of bile. In addition to MR cholangiopancreatography, T1- and T2-weighted MR imaging may be performed to depict extrabiliary soft-tissue structures and abnormalities such as an abscess, tumor recurrence or metastasis, hematoma, or hemobilia. Mangafodipir trisodium–enhanced MR cholangiopancreatography, a recently developed technique that provides a combination of anatomic and functional information, is particularly helpful for documenting bile leaks because it allows a functional evaluation of biliary excretion and may directly depict bile leakage from injured ducts.

© RSNA, 2006