Sectional Anatomy of the Pancreas: Magnetic Resonance Imaging on the Coronal Plane Correlated with Cadaver Sections
Purpose: This study correlates MRI of the pancreas with anatomical data to better facilitate diagnosis of pancreatic disease. Materials and Methods: The anatomy of the pancreas and its relationships to regional structures as observed on coronal MRI sections were correlated with coronal sections of the abdomen on cadavers. MR images were obtained from 5 healthy, adult volunteers; cadaver specimens were obtained from 30 adult Chinese individuals. Results: The pancreas was visualized mainly on the coronal sections between 54.0mm anterior to the posterior margin of inferior vena cava and 12.0mm posterior to the posterior margin of inferior vena cava. On the plane through the superior mesenteric vein, the neck of the pancreas was located anterior to the superior mesenteric vein. The relationships of the head of the pancreas were: (1) inferior and to the right of the main portal vein; and (2) anterior and to the left of the descending part of duodenum on the plane through the main portal vein. The left aspect of the body of pancreas was visualized anterior to the splenic vein and superior to the left renal blood vessels on the plane through the anterior part of inferior vena cava. The tail of the pancreas was situated superolateral to left kidney between the hilum of the spleen and the fundus of the stomach on the plane through the posterior part of inferior vena cava. Conclusion: The superior mesenteric vein is the ideal landmark to identify the neck of the pancreas on the coronal section. The inferior vena cava and left renal vein are useful relationships in localizing the head and body of the pancreas, respectively, on coronal sections. The relationships of the splenic artery, vein, and left kidney are useful in recognizing the tail of the pancreas on coronal sections. Anatomical components of the pancreas have been difficult to delineate from the abdominal viscera with CT and MRI in the coronal plane (1, 2). Recently, the development of multislice spiral CT (3- 6) and modern high-speed scanning sequence of MRI (7- 9), imaging technologies provide useful images that more clearly demonstrate the complicated anatomical relationships of the pancreas on the transverse, sagittal, coronal, and slant sectional images (10- 13). The sectional anatomies of the pancreas on the transverse (14) and sagittal (15-17) planes have been reported. In addition, pancreatic and peripancreatic arteries have been identified using helical CT (18, 19). The morphologic evaluation of pancreatic duct using MR cholangiopancreatography (20) has also been reported. Furthermore, the deep position of the pancreas and its complex relations with nearby structures and viscera complicate the clinical analysis of the many diseases affecting the pancreas. Better anatomical information is needed to facilitate diagnosis and surgical treatment of pancreatic disease. However, as yet, the detailed systemic sectional anatomy and normal imaging of the pancreas in the coronal plane has not been reported. Therefore, this paper provided new anatomical detail regarding the sectional anatomy of the pancreas and related structures and viscera in the coronal plane. Data were obtained using serial coronal cadaver sections, coronal MR cadaver sections and correlated with MR images of healthy volunteers.
Zhenmei Zhao Shuwei Liu Xiangtao Lin Zhenping Li Zheng Wang Guangbin Wang Qunsheng Yin
Research Center for Sectional and Imaging Anatomy, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan Department of Anatomy, Taishan Medical College, Tainan Department of MRI, Shandong Medical Imaging Institute, Jinan
国际会议
首届国际断层影像解剖学研讨会(The 1st International Symposium on Sectional and Inaging Anatomy)
青岛
英文
143-149
2007-12-15(万方平台首次上网日期,不代表论文的发表时间)