A new approach for diagnosis of hepatolithiasis: magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography: potential usefulness of dehydrocholic acid (DHCA) administration in the evaluation of hepatolithiasis.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether exogenous dehydrocholic acid (DHCA) was useful to enhance the delineation of hepatolithiasis. Our study population comprised 9 patients. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) was acquired before and after the administration of DHCA. Two different MRCP snap-shot techniques were applied: thick-slab two-dimensional (2D) (coronal) single shot turbo spin echo T2-weighted sequences and multisection thin-slab, 2D (coronal) single shot turbo spin echo T2-weighted sequences with three-dimensional (3D) maximum intensity projection (MIP) post processing. DHCA provided a better visualization of hepatolithiasis in 8 of 9 cases (88.9%). It was suggested that administration of DHCA could enhance the delineation of the hepatolithiasis on MRCP images.