MRI of gallstones

This article published in the June issue of AJR is extremely interesting.

We are all used to seeing gallstones as signal void areas on MRCPs and T2W images. Since we have started using VIBE imaging, we have on many occassions identified gallstones as hyperintense structures on this sequence.

This article has actually analyzed gallstones studied using single-shot T2W sequences and the GE equivalent of a T1W VIBE sequence and the authors have shown that pigment stones are almost always hyperintense on this sequence, whereas cholesterol stones are isointense.

It would be worthwhile adding this sequence to a routine MRCP protocol and to use the information obtained to report the gallstone composition as well.