Abstract

Background: Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is a non-invasive diagnostic method for choledocholithiasis. Aim: To evaluate the results of MRCP in the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis. Patients and methods: Retrospective review of MRCP reports performed between October 2001 and December 2004. We included patients with suspected choledocholithiasis who were studied with MRCP and some other confirmatory test such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), surgical common bile duct exploration or transcystic colangiography (TC). Results: One hundred and twenty five patients aged 58±20 years (70 females) were included. In 54 patients (43%) we compared the results of MRCP with the findings of surgical common bile duct exploration or TC and in 71 (57%) we did so with ERCP. MRCP suggested choledocholithiasis in 93 patients and in 32 it was negative. Eighty six (67%) patients had choledocholithiasis according to TC or ERCP, including 3 patients who had a negative MRCP. Therefore the sensibility was 97%, specificity 74% positive predictive value 89%, negative predictive value 90% and accuracy of MRCP was 90% for the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis. Conclusions: MRCP has a high accuracy for the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis.