Urinary Tract Anomalies and Variants
Etiology Urinary tract anomalies encompass a wide range of abnormalities from the multiple varied components of the urinary tract—the renal parenchyma, the collecting system, the bladder, the urethra, and the…
Urinary Tract Obstruction
Etiology Urinary tract obstruction (UTO) is a syndrome that may be caused by a wide range of pathologic processes. It may vary in the following: • Degree: May be partial…
Gallbladder and Bile Duct Functional Imaging
Technical Aspects Functional imaging of the gallbladder and bile ducts is a valuable tool, providing critical information for the management of conditions of the biliary system. Modern functional techniques are…
Diffuse Gallbladder Wall Thickening
Diffuse gallbladder wall thickening is commonly encountered in diagnostic settings. The ability of ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to directly visualize the thickened gallbladder wall ascertains…
Dilated Bile Ducts
Etiology Biliary dilatation can occur as a result of biliary obstruction, from an altered functional state (e.g., after cholecystectomy or with sphincter of Oddi dysfunction), or uncommonly as a result…
Imaging of the Postoperative Bowel
Surgical procedures performed on the bowel are innumerable, and their detailed discussion is beyond the scope of this chapter. To understand the related imaging, it is important to be familiar…
Tumors of the Gallbladder
Etiology The precise cause of gallbladder carcinoma is unknown, but cholelithiasis and pancreaticobiliary malformations are major risk factors. Gallstones and reflux of pancreaticobiliary enzymes are thought to result in chronic…
Imaging of Chronic Pancreatitis
Etiology Chronic pancreatitis is defined as an ongoing prolonged inflammatory disease characterized by progressive irreversible structural changes resulting in permanent loss of endocrine and exocrine function. The Cambridge classification of…
Solid Pancreatic Masses
Etiology The term solid pancreatic masses, in its wide meaning, encompasses neoplastic lesions and non-neoplastic masses, ranging from anatomic variants, such as pancreatic head lobulations, to focal inflammatory processes and…
Extrahepatic Bile Duct Tumors
Etiology The exact pathogenesis of bile duct carcinoma has not been described, but predisposing factors are similar to those causing intrahepatic bile duct neoplasms. It is believed that long-standing inflammation…
