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Exocrine pancreatic function: evaluation with MR imaging before and after secretin stimulation
1Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
The American Journal of Gastroenterology
|January 13, 2006
Summary
Secretin-stimulated magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (SS-MRCP) improves pancreatic imaging for chronic pancreatitis. Adding diffusion-weighted MRI offers a new way to assess pancreatic exocrine function, potentially replacing older tests.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Gastroenterology
- Pancreatic Diseases
Background:
- Chronic pancreatitis diagnosis and monitoring rely on imaging and function tests.
- Current exocrine function tests can be invasive or cumbersome.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of diffusion-weighted MRI combined with secretin-stimulated MRCP (SS-MRCP) for assessing pancreatic exocrine secretion.
- To explore this technique as an alternative to traditional pancreatic function tests.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing secretin-stimulated magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (SS-MRCP).
- Incorporating diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) into the SS-MRCP protocol.
- Assessing pancreatic exocrine secretion qualitatively and potentially quantitatively.
Main Results:
- SS-MRCP enhances standard pancreatic imaging in chronic pancreatitis.
- The addition of DWI to SS-MRCP provides insights into pancreatic exocrine secretion.
- This combined approach may serve as an alternative to conventional "tube" tests.
Conclusions:
- Diffusion-weighted MRI integrated with SS-MRCP offers a promising, non-invasive method for evaluating pancreatic exocrine function.
- This technique could improve the assessment of patients with chronic pancreatitis.