[Secretin-stimulated MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP): visualization of the normal pancreatic duct in comparison...

To determine whether the application of secretin improves the depiction of the normal pancreatic duct and to document the time course of any possible improved visualisation.

Twenty-eight patients with a normal pancreatic ductal system, proved by ERCP, were prospectively enrolled in our study. MRCP was carried out in a 1.0 Tesla unit using a thick slab single-shot turbo-echo sequence (TR: infinity, TE: 1100 ms, FA: 150 degrees, slab thickness: 65 mm). Following acquisition of a non-enhanced image, 1 clinical unit/kg bodyweight of secretin was injected intravenously. During the subsequent ten minutes the MR measurement was repeated every 30 seconds. The images were independently evaluated by two investigators.

The improvement in quality after administration of secretin was statistically significant for both investigators (p < 0.05), but no significant difference was found between both investigators concerning the quality of the images (p = 0.49). Prior to the secretin application, the entire ductal system only be evaluated in ten cases (35.7 %) by both investigators, afterwards in 26 cases (92.9 %). Improvement was achieved after a mean time of 1.5 minutes and lasted until the ninth minute.

Intravenous application of secretin improves image quality of MRCP also in patients with no pancreatic pathology. Improvement begins after 1.5 minutes and lasts for about seven minutes.