Brief Article
Copyright ©2011 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Radiol. Feb 28, 2011; 3(2): 47-50
Published online Feb 28, 2011. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v3.i2.47
Use of carbon dioxide as negative contrast agent for magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography
Ching-Wen Chen, Yi-Sheng Liu, Chiung-Yu Chen, Hong-Ming Tsai, Shu-Chen Chen, Ming-Tsung Chuang
Ching-Wen Chen, Yi-Sheng Liu, Hong-Ming Tsai, Shu-Chen Chen, Ming-Tsung Chuang, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan 70428, Taiwan, China
Chiung-Yu Chen, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70428, Taiwan, China
Author contributions: Chen CW, Liu YS and Chuang MT designed the study; Chen CW, Tsai HM and Chen SC collected the data; Chen CY and Chuang MT analyzed the data; Chen CW and Chuang MT wrote the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Dr. Ming-Tsung Chuang, MD, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, No. 138, Sheng-Li Road, Tainan 70428, Taiwan, China. u8501122@gmail.com
Telephone: +886-6-2766108 Fax: +886-6-2766608
Received: November 13, 2010
Revised: December 28, 2010
Accepted: January 4, 2011
Published online: February 28, 2011
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the effects of using CO2 as negative contrast agent in decreasing the overlapping on the pancreaticobiliary system from intestinal fluids.

METHODS: We evaluated the magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) images in 117 patients divided into two groups (group 1, without taking gas producing crystals to produce CO2, n = 64; group 2, with CO2, n = 53) in a 1.5T unit using MRCP sequence. Anatomic locations of intestinal fluids distribution, overlapping with common bile duct (CBD) and pancreatic duct (PD), were evaluated.

RESULTS: In the group with CO2, the decrease in distribution of intestinal fluids was significant in the gastric antrum (P = 0.001) and duodenal bulb (P < 0.001), but not in the gastric fundus and body and in the second portion of the duodenum (P = 1.000, P = 0.171, and P = 0.584 respectively). In the group with CO2, the decrease in overlapping with CBD was significant (P < 0.001), but the decrease in overlapping with PD was not (P = 0.106).

CONCLUSION: MRCP with carbon dioxide as negative contrast agent would decrease intestinal fluids in the gastric antrum and duodenal bulb, thereby decreasing overlapping with the CBD.

Keywords: Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography; Negative contrast medium; Gas-producing crystals; Carbon dioxide