Comparability of size measurements of the pancreas in magnetic resonance imaging and transabdominal ultrasound

Abstract

Introduction Transabdominal ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are commonly used for the examination of the pancreas in clinical routine. We therefore were interested in the concordance of these two imaging methods for the size measurement of the pancreas and how age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) affect the organ size. Methods A total of 342 participants from the Study of Health in Pomerania underwent whole‐body MRI and transabdominal US on the same day, and the diameter of the pancreatic head, body, and tail were measured. The agreement between US and MRI measurements was assessed by Bland and Altman plots. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to compare observers. A multivariable regression model was applied using the independent variables age, gender, and body mass index. Results Compared to MRI, abdominal US returned smaller values for each segment of the pancreas, with a high level of inconsistency between these two methods. The mean difference was 0.39, 0.18, and 0.54 cm for the head, body, and tail, respectively. A high interobserver variability was detected for US. Multivariable analysis showed that pancreatic size in all three segments increased with BMI in both genders whereas pancreatic head and tail size decreased with age, an effect more marked in women. Conclusions Agreement of pancreatic size measurements is poor between US and MRI. These limitations should be considered when evaluating morphologic features for pathologic conditions or setting limits of normal size. Adjustments for BMI, gender, and age may also be warranted.

SHIP-MR and Radiology: 12 Years of Whole-Body Magnetic Resonance Imaging in a Single Center

“…The authors concluded that pancreatic screening for cysts is not necessary. Aghdassi et al [ 71 ] compared pancreatic volumetry with MRI and abdominal ultrasound in 342 study participants. The agreement was relatively poor, with smaller volumes resulting from ultrasound.…”

Real-Time Ultrasound-Computed Tomography Fusion with Volume Navigation to Assess Pancreatic Cystic Lesions

“…This evaluation would be necessary since EUS is the current gold standard for evaluation. Future studies will also be needed to evaluate the performance of TAUS-f in a subset of patients to determine the patients with optimal body habitus and limitations regarding hepatic steatosis, which has been found to make pancreatic visualization more challenging [ 18 ].…”

“…This evaluation would be necessary since EUS is the current gold standard for evaluation. Future studies will also be needed to evaluate the performance of TAUS-f in a subset of patients to determine the patients with optimal body habitus and limitations regarding hepatic steatosis, which has been found to make pancreatic visualization more challenging [18]. In evaluating imaging characteristics, there was substantial to moderate agreement between CT and TAUS in detecting a soft-tissue component, MPD dilation, and MPD communication.…”

Magnetic Resonance Imaging or Ultrasound in Localized Intermediate- or High-Risk Soft Tissue Tumors of the Extremities (MUSTT): Final Results of a Prospective Comparative Trial

“…We designed a comparative study where the two imaging techniques used more often to rule out LR, US, and MRI, were compared in the same patient. The study design included independent radiological evaluation of US and MRI to overcome the need for a randomized trial that is unfeasible for ethical reasons, and to reduce the number of patients to be included as already performed in other imaging studies [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. To increase the reliability of this approach and reduce biases, we allowed a < 7 days of time frame between US and MRI, limiting as much as possible to have both US and MRI in the same session.…”