Pancreatic perfusion: noninvasive quantitative assessment with dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging without and with secretin stimulation in healthy volunteers--initial results.

Purpose: To prospectively quantify pancreatic regional perfusion with dynamic contrast material-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging by using a one-compartment model and to assess perfusion changes during secretin stimulation in healthy volunteers.

Materials And Methods: The study had institutional review board approval, and written informed consent was obtained. Ten healthy volunteers (five men, five women; mean age, 24.7 years +/- 1.9 [standard deviation]; range, 22-29 years) underwent MR imaging pancreatic perfusion studies performed twice without secretin and twice during secretin stimulation. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging consisted of saturation-recovery T1-weighted turbo-field-echo imaging with peripheral pulse triggering and respiratory tracking. A dose of 0.05 mmol gadodiamide per kilogram of body weight was injected at a rate of 3.5 mL/sec. Regional perfusion parameters were fitted with a one-compartment model. The analysis of variance test for repeated measurements was used to assess differences in pancreatic perfusion without and that with secretin administration.

Results: Significant differences in perfusion parameters between the three pancreatic regions were observed (P < .05). During secretin stimulation, a significant difference was observed only between the body and the tail of the pancreas (P = .02). A significant increase (P = .003) in pancreatic perfusion was observed after secretin administration. Mean pancreatic perfusion was 184 mL/min/100 g of tissue +/- 71, 207 mL/min/100 g +/- 77, and 230 mL/min/100 g +/- 87 without secretin and 342 mL/min/100 g +/- 154, 338 mL/min/100 g +/- 156, and 373 mL/min/100 g +/- 176 after secretin stimulation in the head, body, and tail of the pancreas, respectively. Intraindividual variability was 21% without secretin stimulation and 46% with secretin stimulation.

Conclusion: Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging enables noninvasive quantification of regional pancreatic perfusion in resting conditions and demonstrates the increase in pancreatic perfusion during secretin stimulation in healthy subjects.