Measurement of the Diameter of the Common Bile Duct and Pancreatic Duct among Healthy Adult Sudanese Subjects using Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography

Abstract

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the common bile duct (CBD) and pancreatic duct (PD) diameter among healthy adult Sudanese subjects using magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). In addition, this study aimed to determine the effects of age, gender, and body height and weight on the CBD and PD diameters to establish a reference range for these ducts on MRCP, which is very useful in a daily clinical setting where MRCP is commonly performed to evaluate suspected biliary tract disease. Methods and Results: This study included 80 asymptomatic subjects who underwent MRCP. The widest diameter of the CBD and PD was measured perpendicular to their long axes using the electronic caliper. The applied MRCP imaging technique was in line with the guidelines used by Chen et al.(2012) The age, gender, medical history, body height and body weight were recorded. Among the 80 subjects, the mean CBD diameter on MRCP was 6.17±0.69 mm (range of 4-8 mm). There was a significant correlation between the CBD diameter and weight (r=0.407, P<0.001). The mean PD diameter on MRCP was 3.80±0.50mm (range of 2-5 mm). There was also a significant correlation between the PD diameter and weight (r=0.407, P<0.001). In the cohort of 80 subjects, the mean CBD diameter in females was larger than in males(6.50±0.632mm and 5.95±0.677mm, respectively), and this difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Also, the mean PD diameter in females was statistically larger than in males (6.03±0.66mm and 5.58±0.675mm, respectively), and this difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Our results demonstrate no significant correlation between the diameter of CBD and PD and participants' height and age. Conclusion: The importance of the current study lies in it’s being one of the few studies whose intention was to use MRCP to bridge the knowledge gap in the literature about the measurement of the CBD and PD diameter among healthy adult Sudanese subjects.