[Preoperative evaluation of choledochal cyst with MR cholangiopancreatography]

The choledochal cyst is a rare congenital disorder usually diagnosed in childhood. It requires a complete surgical resection to prevent complications, particularly the risk of malignant changes. At present, the preoperative examination requires a direct opacification of the biliary tree, but this is an invasive technique with a high risk of infection, especially in pediatric patients.

A choledochal cyst was diagnosed in a five-year-old girl with recurrent abdominal pain. Diagnosis was made by ultrasound and preoperative evaluation by magnetic resonance-cholangiopancreatography using single-shot fast-spin echo sequences. A complete correlation was observed between surgical, preoperative cholangiography and MRCP data.

Recent improvement in MRCP techniques provide a complete anatomic analysis of choledochal cysts, enabling one to diagnose an anomalous junction of the pancreaticobiliary duct, even the presence of stones within the biliary tree. This short and noninvasive examination should in the future replace direct opacification of the biliary tree for the preoperative assessment of choledochal cysts.