Magnetic resonance imaging in detecting acute oedematous and haemorrhagic pancreatitis: an experimental study in pigs.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of pancreatic inflammation. It was focused on the use of ultra-low- and low-field MRI imagers because of the good results achieved with them in detecting intracranial oedema and haemorrhage. In addition, there are 16 ultra-low-field MRI imagers in clinical use in the world. Nineteen piglets were examined by computed tomography (CT) and then by two MRI prototype imagers operating at 0.02 and 0.17 T. The level of the pancreas was selected on CT. Oedematous pancreatitis was induced in 9 animals by intraductal injection of autologous bile and haemorrhagic form in 7 animals by intraductal injection of 15% Na-taurocholate-trypsin with simultaneous intravenous secretin injection. After 6 or 24 h the animals were re-examined by both CT and MRI. The results show that haemorrhagic-necrotizing pancreatitis can well be differentiated from oedematous pancreatitis by CT. On MRI using an ultra-low or low magnetic field the pancreas was difficult to identify and the different forms of pancreatitis could not be differentiated. Thus, at present CT with or without contrast enhancement is superior to ultra-low-field MRI in detecting and estimating the severity of acute pancreatitis. Further progress in the MRI techniques probably improves the results in the future.