Quantitative biliary metrics may help assess progression of primary sclerosing cholangitis
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SAN DIEGO — Quantitative magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography may help assess changes in the biliary tree and aid monitoring of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis, according to research presented at The Liver Meeting.
Although quantitative magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) has potential in objectively monitoring primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), interpreting the results can be challenging, according to Sarah Finnegan, PhD, senior product manager at Perspectum.
“Detecting changes early and reliably tracking those changes remains a current clinically unmet need,” Finnegan told attendees. “Objective, precise and reliable assessment will be key, and it’s a key challenge facing the care of these patients.”
In a retrospective, natural history study, Finnegan and colleagues investigated the change in biliary metrics over a 10-year period among 134 adult patients (54% men) with PSC, all of whom had baseline non-contrast 3D MRCP as part of standard of care and underwent at least two additional scans during follow-up.
According to results, there appeared to be a significant average percentage increase from baseline each year in the numbers of ducts (4.2%, B = 1.04, P < .001), strictures (5.1%, B = 1.05, P < .001), dilatations (6.7%, B = 1.05, P < .001) and ducts with a stricture or dilatation (5.4%, B = 1.05, P < .001). There also was a 5% increase from baseline in both the length of strictures and dilatations (P < .001).
“We can’t yet relate these measurements to clinical outcomes and when we do, we do expect that this might not be predicted by one measurement alone—it might be combinations of different quantitative MRCP measurements or it might involve additional clinical data, such as liver function tests or imaging modalities,” Finnegan said.
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