Application of compressed sensing to 3D magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography for the evaluation of pancreatic cystic lesions

The mean acquisition time of CS-3D-MRCP (150 ± 63 s) was significantly lower than that of 3D-MRCP (317 ± 104 s; P < 0.001). The median score of overall quality (reader 1, 3.7 ± 1.0 vs. 3.4 ± 1.1, P = 0.11; reader 2, 3.8 ± 1.0 vs. 3.7 ± 1.1, P = 0.36), artifacts and visualization of the bile ducts were not significantly different between 3D-MRCP and CS-3D-MRCP. There was no significant difference in the visualization score of the index pancreatic cyst (reader 1, 4.2 ± 0.9 vs. 4.1 ± 0.9, P = 0.42; reader 2, 4.2 ± 0.4 vs. 4.0 ± 0.7, P = 0.27) and no difference in the assessment of cyst features. Applying CS to 3D-MRCP yields a two-fold reduction in acquisition time with comparable image quality and visualization of key pancreatic cyst features.