Table 2 The advantages and disadvantages of CT and MRI for the diagnosis and assessment of primary biliary cholangitis
From: CT and MR imaging of primary biliary cholangitis: a pictorial review
Techniques | Advantages | Disadvantages | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
MRI | Multi-sequence, multi-planar, radiation-free, more capable of displaying the characteristic imaging features of PBC, significant advantages for showing bile duct structures | Expensive, long scanning time, more contraindications (patients need to be awake, breath-holding, etc.) | One of the main tools in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis for patients with suspected PBC; the preferred noninvasive tool for the follow-up of patients with early to mild-stage PBC |
CT | Inexpensive, fast scanning, high-density resolution, image interpretation is relatively straightforward for clinicians | Radioactive, limited ability to show some of the characteristic features of early PBC, poor performance for bile duct lesions | A diagnostic method for patients with intermediate to advanced PBC to assess the development and progression of portal hypertension, cirrhosis, and related complications |