HASTE MR cholangiography in the evaluation of hilar cholangiocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to determine the usefulness of MR cholangiography using the half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo sequence in the examination of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma. CONCLUSION. Half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo MR cholangiography is a useful, noninvasive adjunct to other imaging techniques, particularly MR imaging, in the evaluation of hilar cholangiocarcinoma, MR cholangiography allows rapid visualization of the biliary tract without instrumentation and, therefore, without the risk of inducing sepsis in a patient with ductal obstruction. In the six patients presented, MR cholangiography allowed for determination of the proximal extent of disease and assessment of resectability and delineated the duct both proximal and distal to the stricture and isolated ductal obstructions. MR cholangiography provides three-dimensional images of the biliary tract that facilitate planning of surgery, palliative drainage, and radiation therapy.