Can biliary-cyst communication be predicted by Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MR cholangiography before treatment for hepatic...

To evaluate the role of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) in the evaluation of biliary-cyst communication (BCC) before treatment for hepatic hydatid disease (HHD).

Thirty-one patients with clinical and laboratory follow-up for HHD with suspected diagnosis of BCC underwent three-dimensional (3D) T2-weighted MRC and T1-weighted contrast-enhanced MRC, dynamic 3D gradient echo (GRE) sequences, using Gd-EOB-DTPA to identify the presence or absence of BCC. A total of 45 hepatic hydatid cysts in the 31 patients were evaluated for cyst diameter, BCC, and the time to contrast-enhancement of the hydatid cyst after Gd-EOB-DTPA injection. The surgical and interventional radiological procedures and imaging findings were compared. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of both techniques in identification of BCC were calculated.

The accuracy of contrast-enhanced MRC for identifying BCC was superior with a sensitivity of 87.4% and accuracy of 90.5% (p < 0.05). A diameter of ≥10 cm was associated with significantly increased risk of BCC on contrast-enhanced MRC images (p < 0.05).

The use of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRC yields information that complements T2-weighted MRC findings and improves identification of BCC. The use of T2-weighted MRC, in addition to contrast-enhanced MRC, is recommended to increase preoperative accuracy of identifying BCC.