Magnetic resonance imaging of the gallbladder: spectrum of abnormalities

Various pathologies involving the gallbladder can manifest clinically, producing nonspecific clinical symptoms and making diagnosis difficult and challenging. Real-time sonography is the most widely used diagnostic study for the gallbladder and the primary screening examination of choice. With increasing use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), gallbladder pathology is frequently seen. Understanding the basic patterns of various disease manifestations and appearance on MRI is the key to making an accurate diagnosis. Given its inherent tissue contrast and contrast sensitivity, MRI in conjunction with MRCP can be a very valuable test in evaluating gallbladder pathology. Gallbladder pathology can be classified into congenital (such as absence), inflammatory (acute, hemorrhagic, and chronic cholecystitis), traumatic, benign (polyps) and malignant tumors (gallbladder carcinoma and lymphoma), and other disease processes can be seen in cholelithiasis, cholesterosis, thickened gallbladder wall, and Mirrizzi syndrome.