[MRI of the pancreas: value, technique and applications]

MR imaging of the pancreas is compromised by several problems: motion artifacts from breathing, cardiac and vascular pulsation, and bowel peristalsis. These limitations can be overcome by modern scanner- and software technology. In the meantime, MRI of the pancreas can compete with well established methods as ultrasound and computed tomography (CT). In addition, new sequences provide imaging modalities comparable to angiography and ERCP. In the future, the value and the efficacy of MRI in comparison to CT, and its clinical impact has to be evaluated in clinical studies. In this article, we review the technical development of MRI of the pancreas, and discuss its clinical use.