Contrast-Enhanced MR Cholangiography with Gd-EOB-DTPA: Visualization of the Biliary Ducts in Comparison with HASTE MR Cholangiography

Yoshihiko Fukukura¹, Takuro Kamiyama¹, Koji Takumi¹, Toshikazu Shindo¹, Yuichi Kumagai¹, Masayuki Nakajo¹

The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of biliary duct visualization using Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance cholangiography (EOB-MRC) compared with half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo magnetic resonance cholangiography (HASTE-MRC).In all patients, EOB-MRC showed significantly improved visualization of cystic duct (average score of three readers 3.43 vs. 3.01; P<0.05), and first (average score of three readers 4.12 vs. 3.75; P<0.005) and second division ducts (average score of three readers 3.00 vs. 2.51; P<0.0005) in comparison with HASTE-MRC. In patients with liver cirrhosis, there was no significant difference between EOB-MRC and HASTE-MRC in the grade of visualization of cystic duct, and first and second division ducts. These results suggest that EOB-MRC may be more useful in the evaluation of cystic duct, right and left hepatic duct, and second division ducts compared with HASTE-MRC in patients with normal liver function.