MR imaging techniques for pancreas

Abstract

Pancreatic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has become a useful tool in evaluating pancreatic disorders. Technical innovations in MR imaging have evolved over the last decade, with most sequences being performed in one or a few breath-holds. Three-dimensional sequences with thin, contiguous slices allow for improved spatial resolution on the postgadolinium images and MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). The diagnostic potential of MRCP is equivalent to endoscopic retrograde pancreatography, particularly when intravenous secretin is used to enhance the pancreatic duct assessment. This article highlights the advantages and disadvantages of state-of-the-art and emerging pulse sequences and their application to imaging pancreatic diseases.