Abstract
AIM: To evaluate the effects of using CO(2) 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 CO(2), n = 64; group 2, with CO(2), 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 CO(2), 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 CO(2), 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.