Detection of cholangiocarcinoma with magnetic resonance spectroscopy of bile in patients with and without primary sclerosing cholangitis

• Background: Early detection of cholangiocarcinoma (CC) is very difficult, especially in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) who are at increased risk of developing CC. Purpose: To evaluate 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) of bile as a diagnostic marker for CC in patients with and without PSC. Material and Methods: The institutional review board approved the study, and all patients gave informed consent. Bile from 49 patients was sampled and investigated using 1H-MRS. MR spectra of bile samples from 45 patients (18 female; age range 22–87 years, mean age 57 years) were analyzed both conventionally and using computerized multivariate analysis. Sixteen of the patients had CC, 18 had PSC, and 11 had other benign findings. Results: The spectra of bile from CC patients differed from the benign group in the levels of phosphatidylcholine, bile acids, lipid, and cholesterol. It was possible to distinguish CC from benign conditions in all patients with malignancy. Two benign non-PSC patients were misclassified as malignant. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 88.9%, 87.1%, and 87.8%, respectively. Conclusion: With 1H-MRS of bile, cholangiocarcinoma could be discriminated from benign biliary conditions with or without PSC.

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