Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography for Cholangiopancreatic Duct Imaging in Dogs

Ultrasonography is often used to diagnose biliary diseases in dogs; however, it is difficult to delineate the entire bile and pancreatic ducts. Various imaging techniques for bile and pancreatic ducts have been attempted to overcome this problem. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is often used to evaluate the bile and pancreatic ducts in humans with obstructive jaundice, but very few reports exist on its usage in dogs. This study was designed as a prospective observational study to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of MRCP for visualizing the bile and pancreatic ducts in nondiseased dogs. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the visibility of the bile and pancreatic ducts through MRCP imaging using a 3.0 T-MRI system in dogs with no signs of hepatic, biliary, and pancreatic diseases. The detection rate for each anatomical structure was evaluated, with the highest observed in the gallbladder (100%), followed by the common bile duct (80%), cystic duct (70%), pancreatic ducts in the left and right lobe of the pancreas (70%), left and right hepatic ducts (60%), accessory pancreatic ducts (60%), and major pancreatic duct (40%). MRCP is a promising noninvasive imaging technique that can promptly and accurately visualize bile and pancreatic ducts in dogs without being influenced by the skill of the operator.