Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Diffusion-weighted imaging for evaluating the pancreatic perfusion in cirrhotic patients

Motivation: Pancreatic perfusion disturbances is found in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension, which is correlated with reduced insulin secretion. Intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) can noninvasively reflect tissue microcapillary perfusion. Goal(s): To assess the characteristics of pancreatic perfusion in normal pancreas vs. cirrhotic patients using IVIM. Approach: 67 cirrhotic patients and 33 healthy subjects underwent IVIM on a 3.0 T MRI scanner. Results: The f value of pancreas in cirrhotic was lower than that in normal group (p = 0.01). In cirrhotic group, the f value of pancreas decreased with the increase of the Child-Pugh classification (R = -0.49, p = 0.00). Impact: IVIM-derived perfusion-related parameter (f value) could be helpful to evaluate pancreatic perfusion in liver cirrhosis. Pancreatic perfusion decreased is present in liver cirrhosis, and pancreatic perfusion tends to decrease with the increasing severity of hepatic function.