ABSTRACT

We aimed to determine the mean biliary confluence angle on MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) images and investigated the variability of the angle by age, gender, and body mass index.

Material and Methods:

The study population was drawn from the patients referred to MRCP between May 2006 and December 2006 for various indications; the most being for abnormal liver function tests or suspected biliary disease. A total of 40 patients (18 women and 22 men, age range 22-86 years) who denied a history of prior liver surgery, and in whom MRCP excluded bile duct variations, biliary diseases or chronic parenchymal liver disease were enrolled. The confluence angle was measured independently by 2 observers on 3 successive coronal oblique thick-collimation images where the angle is widest and the mean values were noted for each observer.

Results:

Statistically there was almost perfect agreement between 2 observers (p<0.001, intraclass correlation coeffıcient= 0.93). The mean value was 87.87± 22.92 degrees for the lst observer (range 51-155 degrees) and 85.40± 25.80 degrees for the 2nd observer (range 45-166 degrees). No statistically significant correlation was found between biliary confluence angle and age, gender or body mass index. The lower and upper bounds of 95% confîdence interval for mean were 80.54-95.20 degrees for the lst observer and 77.14-93.65 degrees for the 2nd observer.

Conclusion:

Normal biliary confluence angle is independent of age, gender, and body mass index.