Correlation of MRCP quantification (MRCPQ) with conventional non-invasive pancreatic exocrine function tests

Purpose: To correlate MRCP quantification ( MRCPQ) of pancreatic fluid output following secretin with steatorrhoea, urinary pancreo-lauryl ( PL) or fecal elastase 1 ( FE1) tests. Methods and materials: Sixty-one patients, 36 male, median age 51 years ( 23 - 78) with known or suspected pancreatic disease who had undergone both MRCPQ and FE1 or PL were included. Twenty-nine patients had chronic pancreatitis, five acute pancreatitis, seven normal, five pancreas divisum, four pancreatic atrophy, three pancreatic duct obstruction, two post-surgical and six miscellaneous diagnoses. Clinical assessment of steatorrhoea was available in 29. MRCP was performed before and at 2 min intervals after 0.1 ml/ kg IV Secretin. Changes in signal intensity in the imaging volume were plotted against time and the flow rate derived from the gradient. Scatter plots, Pearson correlation coefficient, and the Fisher Exact test were performed. Results: MRCPQ was significantly different ( p = 0.012) between those with/without steatorrhoea; mean +/- SD ( 95% CI) were 4.0 +/- 1.5 ( 3.1: 4.9, n = 16) and 6.3 +/- 2.9 ( 4.7: 7.8, n = 13). Fifty-one paired FE1-MRCPQ and 24 PL-MRCPQ data sets were analysed. Both the Pearson correlation coefficient ( FE1 p = 0.001 and % TK p = 0.003) and the Fisher Exact test were significant ( FE1 p = 0.016 and % T/K 0.03). Conclusions: MRCPQ correlated with steatorrhoea, PL and FE1.