CT and MR cholangiography: advantages and pitfalls in perioperative evaluation of biliary tree
- 1 July 2012
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in The British Journal of Radiology
- Vol. 85 (1015), 887-896
- https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr/21209407
Abstract
Recent developments in imaging technology have enabled CT and MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) to provide minimally invasive alternatives to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for the pre- and post-operative assessment of biliary disease. This article describes anatomical variants of the biliary tree with surgical significance, followed by comparison of CT and MR cholangiographies. Drip infusion cholangiography with CT (DIC-CT) enables high-resolution three-dimensional anatomical representation of very small bile ducts (e.g. aberrant branches, the caudate branch and the cystic duct), which are potential causes of surgical complications. The disadvantages of DIC-CT include the possibility of adverse reactions to biliary contrast media and insufficient depiction of bile ducts caused by liver dysfunction or obstructive jaundice. Conventional MRCP is a standard, non-invasive method for evaluating the biliary tree. MRCP provides useful information, especially regarding the extrahepatic bile ducts and dilated intrahepatic bile ducts. Gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced MRCP may facilitate the evaluation of biliary structure and excretory function. Understanding the characteristics of each type of cholangiography is important to ensure sufficient perioperative evaluation of the biliary system.Keywords
This publication has 63 references indexed in Scilit:
- MR Cholangiopancreatography at 3.0 TInvestigative Radiology, 2009
- Biliary anatomy on 3D MRCP: Comparison of volume-rendering and maximum-intensity-projection algorithmsJournal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 2009
- Precautions in caudate lobe resection: Report of 11 casesWorld Journal of Gastroenterology, 2008
- Surgical strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma originating in the caudate lobeSurgery, 2004
- The utility of MRCP in preoperative mapping of biliary anatomy in adult‐to‐adult living related liver transplant donorsJournal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 2004
- Gadolinium-Ethoxybenzyl-Diethylenetriamine Pentaacetic Acid as an Intrabiliary Contrast Agent: Preliminary AssessmentAmerican Journal of Roentgenology, 2002
- Anatomic Variants of the Biliary TreeAmerican Journal of Roentgenology, 2001
- Changing strategies in diagnosis and management of hilar cholangiocarcinomaLiver Transplantation, 2000
- Surgical anatomy of the bile duct branches of the medial segment (B4) of the liver in relation to hilar carcinomaJournal of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, 2000
- Complete resection of the caudate lobe of the liver: Technique and resultsBritish Journal of Surgery, 1996