Breath-hold MR cholangiopancreatography with three-dimensional, segmented, echo-planar imaging and volume rendering.

End-expiration, 21-second breath-hold, three-dimensional magnetic resonance (MR) cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) was developed with segmented echo-planar imaging. In 15 healthy subjects and 14 randomly selected patients undergoing liver studies, three-dimensional MRCP images were obtained and volume rendered. In 15 (100%) healthy subjects and 13 (93%) patients, clear depiction of biliary, hepatic, and pancreatic ducts (with lumen diameter of at least 2 mm) was possible with good signal-to-noise ratio.