J Comput Assist Tomogr , Volume 33, Number 5, September/October 2009
Young Kon Kim, MD, PhD, Chong Soo Kim, MD, PhD, and Young Min Han, MD, PhD
Objective: To determine the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance (MR) grading focusing on elevated signal on Tl-weighted images in the prediction of severity and prognosis of acute pancreatitis as compared with the Balthazar computed tomography (CT) grading.
Materials: Thirty-one patients with acute pancreatitis who underwent CT and MR imaging including fat-suppressed Tl-weighted images within a 48-hour interval were included in this study. The severity of pancreatitis was evaluated by 2 observers using the Balthazar CT grading system and an MR grading system that is focused on an elevated signal on Tl-weighted images. The MR grading was correlated with the CT grading, and each MR or CT tirade was compared with patient outcome parameters, including the duration of hospitalization, local and systemic complications, and clinical outcome grading.
Results: There was a significant correlation between CT and MR gradings for pancreatic or peripancreatic inflammation (r = 0.688, P < 0.01). However, for all of the outcome parameters and outcome grading, a stronger correlation was seen with the MR grading than with the CT grading. No significant correlation was found between CT grading and infected necrosis (r = 0.316, P = 0.083).
Conclusions: Magnetic resonance imaging including fat-suppressed Tl-weighted images is more accurate to predict the severity and prog¬nosis of acute pancreatitis in comparison with CT.