[Efficacy of respiratory-triggered fast spin-echo 3 dimensional-MR cholangiopancreatography on middle magnetic field MR imaging].
We compared the image quality of three-dimensional (3D) MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and two-dimensional (2D) MRCP on middle magnetic field MR imaging, using a respiratory-triggered fast spin-echo technique in 10 volunteers and 69 patients suspected of having biliary and pancreatic diseases. The bile ducts (BDs) and main pancreatic ducts (MPDs) are, if dilatated, are almost always depicted by 3D-MRCP and 2D-MRCP. The depiction rates by 3D-MRCP of non-dilatated intrahepatic ducts (IHDs), hepatic ducts (HDs), common hepatic ducts, common BDs, cystic ducts (CDs) and MPDs were 57%, 90%, 95%, 95%, 100% and 77%, respectively. The respective rates for 2D-MRCP were 26%, 95%, 100%, 95%, 74% and 38%. Non-dilatated IHDs, CDs, and MPDs were better visualized on 3D-MRCP than on 2D-MRCP, because of the high contrast to-noise ratio and high spatial resolution in the slice-section direction of 3D-MRCP. In conclusion, respiratory triggered fast spin-echo 3D-MRCP on middle magnetic field MR imaging is useful in the evaluation of biliary and pancreatic diseases.