Two-tone pancreas on T1-weighted images: correlation with abnormalities on magnetic resonance pancreatography

Two patients are presented in whom geographical alteration in signal between areas of normal and abnormal pancreatic tissue on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images of the pancreas was observed. This alteration in signal intensity produced a 'two-tone' pattern; magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in both patients revealed altered pancreatic duct drainage. It is believed that the 'two-tone' pancreas effect on T1-weighted images of the abdomen, may indicate aberrant duct drainage and that MRCP is an ideal means of further evaluation.