Perilesional branch duct dilation as a hallmark MRCP feature for differentiating high-grade PanIN from low-grade...

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage with a poor prognosis. Early detection of high-grade pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HG-PanIN), a stage 0 lesion, has the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes. This study aimed to identify specific imaging findings on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that distinguish HG-PanIN from low-grade PanIN (LG-PanIN).

This multicenter retrospective study included 57 patients with pathologically confirmed PanIN (41 HG-PanIN, 16 LG-PanIN). MRCP and MRI images were independently reviewed by two experienced abdominal radiologists. Sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, and interobserver agreement (kappa (κ) coefficient) were calculated. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified independent predictors of HG-PanIN.

On MRCP, perilesional branch pancreatic duct (BPD) dilation emerged as a promising imaging marker for distinguishing HG-PanIN, alongside substantial interobserver agreement (κ = 0.64). Pancreatic parenchymal atrophy (PPA) also exhibited diagnostic potential but were limited by lower reproducibility (κ = 0.23). Multivariate analysis identified both perilesional BPD dilation (OR 24.62; 95 % CI 2.66-227.86; p < 0.01) and PPA (OR 37.21; 95 % CI 3.97-348.92; p < 0.01) as independent predictors of HG-PanIN. In subgroup analyses, combining BPD dilation with PPA significantly enhanced specificity for early lesion detection.

Perilesional BPD dilation on MRCP is a primary imaging feature for differentiating HG-PanIN, characterized by substantial interobserver agreement. While PPA on MRI is another important independent predictor, its lower interobserver agreement warrants caution. These findings highlight the diagnostic value of utilizing both MRCP and MRI in the noninvasive evaluation of suspected PanIN.