Table 1.
Imaging parameters of the institutional standard T2 MRCP protocol and T1 3D MRC parameters.
Fig 1.
Subjective depiction of intra- and extrahepatic bile ducts on T2 MRCP and T1 3D MRC.
For all segments, depiction on T2 MRCP is of higher quality.
Table 2.
Subjective evaluation of biliary duct depiction.
Fig 2.
SNR of extrahepatic bile ducts on T2 MRCP and T1 3D MRC.
SNR on T2 MRCP is slightly higher in all segments compared to T1 3D MRC.
Fig 3.
Image examples of T1 3D MRC complementing T2 MRCP.
(a,b) In a 75 year-old female patient, on T2 MRCP (a), an artefact simulated a possible stenosis of the common bile duct (white arrowhead). With T1 MRC (b), a relevant stenosis could confidentially be excluded (white arrow). (c, d) In a patient with metastasized breast cancer due to movement of the bowel conspicuity of the central bilary structures was reduced on T2 MRCP Note improved depiction of the proximal part of the common hepatic duct (white arrow) on T1 3D MRC, which is slightly overlayered by duodenal filling on T2 MRCP. Additionally, there is a clear delineation of the portal vein on T1 MRC (white arrowheads).
Fig 4.
Maximum intensity projection images of the biliary system (a, c: T2 MRCP, b, d: T1 MRC). 53 year-old female patient examined due to suspected focal nodular hyperplasia (black arrowhead in T1 MRC, not visible on T2 MRCP). As contrast in T1 MRC is given by gadoxetate disodium, the pancreatic duct visualized on T2 MRCP (white arrow) is not visualized T1 MRC. Please also note improved conspicuity of the intrahepatic bile ducts on T2 MRCP compared to T1 MRC, which can also be seen on in a 30 year-old female patient (c, d) who was examined due to suspected intrahepatic choledocholithiasis (white arrowheads) which could be verified with MR.
Fig 5.
Visualisation of the hilar structures on T2 MRCP and T1 3D MRC.
Depiction of the duodenum and thereby relationship of the biliary structures is better with T1 3D MRC. Additionally, the portal vein is confidentially depicted which is not visualised at all on T2 MRCP.
Table 3.
Signal-to-noise-ratio of the central bile ducts on T2 MRCP and T1 3D MRC.