CT depiction of small arteries in the pancreatic head: assessment using coronal reformatted images with 16-channel multislice CT

Background To assess the capabilities of 16-channel multislice CT in acquiring almost exclusively arterial-phase images of the pancreas and depicting small pancreatic arteries in coronal reformatted images. Materials and methods In 45 consecutive patients, arterial-phase contrast enhancement was measured in the aorta and its branches, portal venous system, and pancreas. Coronal reformatted images of 1.2- or 1.3-mm slice thickness at 0.8- or 0.9-mm intervals were generated from axial images acquired with 0.5-mm collimation. Two radiologists evaluated the quality of imaging in the arterial phase and the visibility of the pancreatic arteries in coronal reformatted images. Results Mean enhancement in the aorta and its branches was greater than 300 HU, while that in the portal venous system and pancreas was less than 100 HU. The images were judged to be suitable for delineating the pancreatic arteries in all patients. The following arteries were visualized: anterior superior pancreaticoduodenal (39 patients), posterior superior pancreaticoduodenal (41), anterior inferior pancreaticoduodenal (39), posterior inferior pancreaticoduodenal (33), dorsal pancreatic (42), its right branch (34), and transverse pancreatic (37). Conclusion Multislice CT can depict small pancreatic arteries using coronal reformatted images generated from almost exclusively arterial-phase axial images acquired with 0.5-mm collimation.