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Pancreatic Carcinoma: Diagnosis and Preoperative Resectability Assessment by Using Gd-DTPA 3D FSPGR Dynamic MR Imaging

ObjectiveTo study the value of Gd-DTPA three dimension fast spoiled gradientecho (3D FSPGR) dynamic MRI in the diagnosis and preoperative respectability assessment of pancreatic carcinoma.MethodsThirty-two cases of pancreatic carcinoma verified by surgery and pathology were included in this study. All of the cases had MRI examinations two weeks before surgery. MRI protocols involved gradient echo T1 weighted（GRE T1W） with fat suppression, fast spin echo respiratory gating T2 weighted (FSE RG T2W) with fat suppression, MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and gadolinium chelate 3D FSPGR T1W dynamic enhancement. Two radiologists reviewed MRI of the 32 cases retrospectively. Preoperative resectability of pancreatic carcinoma was assessed according to the characteristics of tumor lesions, peripancreatic invasion, vascular invasion, lymph node metastases, and liver metastases. The diagnosis and preoperative resectability assessment of pancreatic carcinoma by MRI was compared with surgical findings. ResultsOf 32 cases, 29 cases diagnosed by MRI were confirmed by surgery and pathology (accuracy of MRI, 90.6%). The sensitivity was 84.4%(27/32) and 93.8%(30/32) respectively for GRE T1W with fat-suppression combining FSE RG T2W and for Gd-DTPA 3D FSPGR dynamic MRI in the detection of pancreatic tumors. The accuracy was 87.5%（21/24）, 87.0%（20/23）, 80.0%（12/15）, 88.9%（8/9） and 83.3%（5/6） respectively for Gd-DTPA 3D FSPGR dynamic MRI in assessing local extension, vascular invasion, lymph node metastases, liver metastases and peritoneal carcinomatosis of pancreatic carcinoma. Eight cases of pancreatic carcinoma were considered to be resectable by enhanced MRI, while the tumors in 7 cases of the 8 cases were resected by surgery. Twentythree cases were confirmed nonresectable by surgery in the 24 cases of pancreatic carcinoma considered to be non-resectable by enhanced MRI. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 87.5%，95.8% and 93.8% resectability for the assessment of respectability of pancreatic carcinoma by using Gd-DTPA 3D FSPGR dynamic MRI. There was no significant difference in the assessment of the resectability of pancreatic carcinoma between enhanced MRI and surgery or pathology （κ=0.83）.ConclusionUsing of Gd-DTPA 3D FSPGR dynamic enhanced MRI improves the detections of pancreatic carcinoma and metastasis. It is also accurate in the assessment of the resectability of pancreatic carcinoma.