Abstract: Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of MR for portal cavernoma cholangiopathy (PCC) in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) -related cirrhosis.Methods Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging for 33 patients clinically diagnosed of HBV-related cirrhosis with PCC from 2010 to 2016 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. MR signs including bile duct dilatation, terminal biliary strictures, marginal vascular dilatation and others were observed.Results All the 33 cases showed wavy bile duct dilation and irregular biliary wall, including 3 cases with tumor-like bile duct wall thickening. Among these patients, 7 cases showed involvement of intrahepatic bile duct in left lobe, 4 cases showed involvement of intrahepatic bile duct in right lobe, 14 cases showed involvement of intrahepatic bile duct in both lobes and 8 cases showed involvement of both intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. Marginal vasculars of common bile duct (CBD) were tortuous in all cases. Furthermore, 21 cases showed terminal biliary strictures and 12 cases showed obstruction, with homogeneously delayed reinforcement mass in 4 cases and portal vein embolus in 8 cases.Conclusion MR imaging plays an important role in diagnosis of PCC patients with HBV-related cirrhosis, which is characterized by bile duct dilatation, tortuous marginal vascular of CBD and homogeneously delayed reinforcement mass in terminal bile duct.

Key words: Cavernoma cholangiopathy, Cirrhosis, Magnetic resonance imaging