Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) in the assessment of pancreatic duct trauma and its sequelae: preliminary findings.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) in the evaluation of pancreatic duct trauma and pancreas-specific complications.

METHODS: Ten hemodynamically stable patients with clinically suspected pancreatic injury related to blunt abdominal trauma (n = 8), penetrating trauma (n = 1), or iatrogenic trauma (n = 1) underwent MRCP. Two abdominal radiologists conducted a review of the MRCPs to assess for the presence or absence of pancreatic duct trauma and pancreas-specific complications such as pseudocysts. The MRCP findings were correlated with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatograms (n = 2), surgical findings (n = 1), computed tomographic scans (n = 10), and with clinical, biochemical or imaging follow-up (n = 10).

RESULTS: Diagnostic quality MRCPs were obtained in each of the 10 patients. A mean imaging time of 5 minutes was required to perform the MRCPs. Pancreatic duct injuries were detected in four patients; pseudocysts were detected in three of these four patients. The pancreatic duct injuries in three patients were acute or subacute. In one of the three patients, disruption of a side branch of the pancreatic duct diagnosed with MRCP was not detected with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography but was confirmed surgically. In the fourth patient, the pancreatic duct injury was chronic; MRCP revealed a posttraumatic stricture in this patient who had sustained blunt abdominal trauma 17 years previously. In the remaining six patients, pancreatic duct trauma was excluded with MRCP. The information derived from the MRCPs was used to guide clinical decision-making in all 10 patients.

CONCLUSIONS: MRCP enables noninvasive detection and exclusion of pancreatic duct trauma and pancreas-specific complications and provides information that may be used to guide management decisions.