What is ERCP AND MRCP- – – WHATS THE DIFFERENCE??
ERCP is endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography – radiography following injection of a radiopaque material into the papilla of Vater. This is done through a fiberoptic endoscope guided by use of fluoroscopy. The procedure is helpful in determing the cause of jaundice. It’s an invasive procedure. MRCP is magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography which is an alternative to diagnostic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for imaging the biliary tree and investigating biliary obstruction. MRCP is a purely diagnostic test with no therapeutic value. It does not have the small but definite morbidity and mortality associated with ERCP. CA 19-9 is a tumor marker released into the bloodstream from both cancer cells and normal cells. Higher than normal amounts of CA 19-9 in the blood can be a sign of gallbladder or pancreatic cancer or other conditions.
