Clinical applications of half-Fourier (HASTE) MR sequences in abdominal imaging

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography remains a valuable technique in biliary disease, because therapeutic intervention, such as stone extraction and biliary drainage, can be carried out at the same time as diagnosis. Spatial resolution is superior to that of noninvasive imaging methods. HASTE MR cholangiopancreatography is as sensitive as sonography in detecting cholelithiasis. It is superior to sonography in diagnosing common bile duct stones, malignant biliary obstruction, and benign pancreatic disease. The noninvasive nature of HASTE MR imaging insures an expanding role in imaging patients with suspected pancreaticobiliary disease.