DCE-MRI in experimental chronic pancreatitis

To assess pancreatic perfusion in experimental chronic pancreatitis (CP) by dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). DCE MRI on a 1.5 T MR scanner was performed on 21 piglets with the ligation of pancreatic duct. They were divided into four groups based on pathology, including seven normal pigs and seven, three and four piglets with grade I, II and III CP, respectively. The signal intensity measured in the pancreatic body on DCE MRI was plotted against time to create a signal intensity-time (SI-T) curve for each piglet. The steepest slope (SS), time-to-peak (TTP) and peak enhancement ratio (PER) of the SI-T curve were noted. In the four groups, on the SI-T curve derived from DCE MRI, the SS was, respectively, 10.88 +/- 1.20, 10.59 +/- 1.02, 6.67 +/- 1.31 and 5.48 +/- 1.97%/s (F = 20.509, p = 0.000) from normal piglets to piglets with grade III CP. The TTP was 13.82 +/- 3.09, 12.31 +/- 5.52, 20.55 +/- 3.79 and 37.26 +/- 14.56 s (F = 10.681, p = 0.000) and the PER was 62.95 +/- 20.20, 60.44 +/- 20.00, 46.33 +/- 22.70 and 67.65 +/- 32.66% (F = 0.529, p = 0.668), respectively. The SS (r = -0.719, p = 0.000) and TTP (r = 0.538, p = 0.012) of the SI-T curve was correlated to the severity of CP, respectively. DCE MRI has a potential to diagnose moderate to advanced CP. The SS and TTP of the SI-T curve were correlated to the severity of CP.