The diagnostic MRCP examination: overcoming technical challenges to ensure clinical success

The magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) examination has all but replaced the diagnostic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) examination for imaging the biliary tree and pancreatic ducts in many practical aspects of the clinical setting. Despite this increase in popularity, many magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiographers still find aspects of the MRCP examination quite challenging. The aim of this tutorial paper is to provide useful technical advice on how to overcome such perceived challenges and thus produce a successful diagnostic MRCP examination. This paper will be of interest to novice MRI radiographers who are at the beginning of their learning curve in MRCP examination. Other MRI radiographers who are interested in practical tips for protocol variations may also find the paper useful

Stone detection in MRCP images using controlled region growing

Stones in the biliary tract are routinely identified using MRCP (magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography). The noisy nature of the images, as well as varying intensity, size and location of the stones, defeat most automatic detection algorithms, making computer-aided diagnosis difficult. This paper proposes a multi-stage segment-based scheme for semi-automated detection of choledocholithiasis and cholelithiasis in the MRCP images, producing good performance in tests, differentiating them from "normal" MRCP images. With the high success rate of over 90%, refinement of the scheme could be applicable in the clinical environment as a tool in aiding diagnosis, with possible applications in telemedicine. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved