COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF ULTRASONOGRAPHY (USG) VERSUS MAGNETIC RESONANCE CHOLANGIOPANCREATOGRAPHY (MRCP) FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF CHOLEDOCHOLITHIASIS.

Objective: To determine the relative diagnostic efficacy of ultrasonography versus Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography for the diagnosis of common duct stones. Study Design: Prospective observational study. Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Radiology & Imaging (AFIRI) Rawalpindi, from Jun 2017 to Jun 2018. Methodology: All the patients with the suspicion of common bile duct stones during the study period were included in the study. All study patients underwent abdominal ultrasonography, Magnetic Resonance Cholangio Pancreatography and Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography. Results: A total of one hundred and thirty-four patients were included in this study. There were stones in common duct in 101 (75%) cases using Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography as gold standard. Ultrasonography indicated stones in 79 (78.2%) while Magnetic Resonance Cholangio Pancreatography diagnosed stones in 93 (92%) patients. The diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography and Magnetic Resonance Cholangio Pancreatography 70.50% and 92.4% respectively. Conclusion: Magnetic Resonance Cholangio Pancreatography is an accurate and sensitive diagnostic modality as compared to USG so it should be the logical next investigation if clinical suspicion remains high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]