MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is an evolving new technique for noninvasive imaging of diseases of the biliary tree and pancreatic duct. The advantage of this method is that one can obtain maximum intensity projection (MIP) images of the pancreatico-biliary system similar to those obtained with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) without the need of administration of intravenous or oral contrast. Heavily T2-weighted sequences are used that render the bile and the intraductal pancreatic fluid bright against a dark background