Effect of Preprocedural Consumption of Banana, Plain Dark Tea, or Nothing on MRCP Image Quality in Patients With Obstructive Jaundice.

BACKGROUND

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is crucial in obstructive jaundice (OJ) to determine the cause, level, and extent of the obstruction.

OBJECTIVES

We are aimed at comparing MRCP image qualities among patients who received different preparations.

METHODS

In this nonrandomized observational cross-sectional study, 86 cases of OJ were examined at the imaging center, Sulaimani Teaching Hospital, Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, from November 2023 to April 2024. The patients were prepared before MRCP imaging by giving a solid banana, plain dark tea, or nothing (fasting for 4-6 h). Then, images were captured and compared across patients to assess their effectiveness in suppressing signals from the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and to visualize and assess the pancreaticobiliary system.

RESULTS

Bananas had the greatest efficacy in suppressing GIT signals, followed by fasting alone and then plain dark tea (p ≤ 0.05). Banana consumption significantly improved main pancreatic duct (MPD) visualization (OR = 7.00, p = 0.021). MPD visualization improved after consuming plain dark tea compared with fasting alone. MPD was not dilated in most cases (84.9%) after all preparations were used. Age and gender are not significantly related to the appearance quality of the pancreaticobiliary system.

CONCLUSIONS

Bananas are associated with GIT signal suppression, MPD visualization, and pancreaticobiliary tree dilation more than plain dark tea and fasting.