APPLICATION OF 16 SLICE CT CHOLANGIOGRAPHY COMBINED WITH MULTIPLANAR REFORMATION IN PATIENTS WITH BILE DUCT OBSTRUCTION

[ Objective] To evaluate the diagnostic use of 16 slice CT cholangiography with multiplanar reformation (MPR) for the assessment of patients with biliary obstruction. [Methods] 16 slice CT cholangiography with the MPR technique was performed in 60 patients who were thought to have biliary obstruction. No cholangiographic contrast agent was administered. MRCP was used in 24 patients, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in 16 patients. 28 patients underwent biopsy or surgery. The findings on 16 slice CT cholangiography were compared with those of MRCP, ERCP, biopsy or surgery. The surgery result was regarded as gold standard. [Results] The findings were as follows: choledocholithiasis (n = 34), ma- lignant stricture (n = 14), benign stricture (n = 2), and cholelithiasis (n = 12). A small common bile duct stone in one pa- tient could not be detected by 16 slice CT cholangiography. Two patients with initial diagnoses of small common bile duct stone by 16 slice CT cholangiography were disclosed to have malignant bile duct stricture by reference examination. The accuracy of 16 slice CT cholangiography for the diagnosis of bile duct stones was 91.1%.The accuracy of 16 slice CT cholangiography for the diagnosis of bile ductstricture was 87.5%. [Conclusion] 16 slice CT cholangiography with the MPR technique is a fast and non- invasive technique with relatively high accuracy for the diagnoses of the causes of biliary obstruction.