MR evaluation of biliary-enteric anastomotic stricture: does contrast-enhanced T1W MRC provide additional...

To compare T2W-MRCP and T1W contrast-enhanced MRC (CE-MRC) using Gd-BOPTA for evaluation of biliary-enteric anastomotic (BEA) stricture.

Twenty-one patients who were suspected to have BEA stricture underwent T2W-MRCP and CE-MRC on a 1.5T scanner. Images were evaluated for evidence of anastomotic stricture. Composite gold standard was used including the findings on percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram or percutaneous transhepatic biliary dilatation, surgery, alkaline phosphatase level and clinical follow-up.

The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of T2W-MRCP for the diagnosis of anastomotic stricture were 94.4%, 80%, 94.4% and 80% respectively. On CE-MRC, biliary excretion was seen in only 60.87% anastomoses and only these were taken for analysis. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of CE-MRC for the diagnosis of anastomotic stricture were 40%, 75%, 80% and 33.3%. The combined evaluation of T2W-MRCP and CE-MRC showed sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of 83.3%, 80%, 93.8% and 57.1%.

At present, T2W-MRCP is still the diagnostic modality of choice in the evaluation of patients with BEA stricture and the usage of Gd-BOPTA enhanced MRC is inappropriate in this setting.