MR liver imaging and cholangiography in the presence of surgical metallic clips at 1.5 and 3 Tesla

To evaluate whether clips from prior cholecystectomy impair image quality during magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) at 3 Tesla (T) compared with 1.5 T, surgical clips were embedded in a gel phantom and positioned at predefined distances from a fluid-filled tube designed to simulate the bile du...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European radiology 2006-10, Vol.16 (10), p.2309-2316
Main Authors: Merkle, Elmar M, Dale, Brian M, Thomas, John, Paulson, Erik K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Bile Duct Diseases - diagnosis
Bile Duct Diseases - diagnostic imaging
Bile ducts
Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance
Cholecystectomy
Clips
Female
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Image quality
Imaging, Three-Dimensional
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Male
Medical imaging
Metals
Middle Aged
Obstructions
Phantoms, Imaging
Radiography
Surgical Instruments
Susceptibility
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Summary:To evaluate whether clips from prior cholecystectomy impair image quality during magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) at 3 Tesla (T) compared with 1.5 T, surgical clips were embedded in a gel phantom and positioned at predefined distances from a fluid-filled tube designed to simulate the bile duct. The maximum clip distance was noted where susceptibility artifacts obscured the fluid-filled tube at 1.5 T and 3 T. Susceptibility artifact size was calculated for each sequence within each magnet class. In vivo analysis included 42 patients postcholecystectomy who underwent MRC at either 1.5 T or 3 T. In vitro, mean area of susceptibility artifacts was 104 mm2 on 3-T and 75 mm2 on 1.5-T MR imaging (MRI). While surgical clips within a 2-mm range impaired visualization of the fluid-filled tube on 1.5-T MRI, this range increased to 4 mm on 3-T MRI. In vivo, MRC image quality was impaired by susceptibility artifacts in three of 21 cases at 3 T and in two of 21 cases at 1.5 T. Overall, biliary pseudo-obstructions due to susceptibility artifacts from cholecystectomy surgical clips were not substantially more common on 3-T MRC in clinical practice, and patients with a history of prior cholecystectomy should not be excluded from a 3-T MRC.
ISSN:0938-7994
1432-1084
DOI:10.1007/s00330-006-0234-1