What is ERCP AND MRCP- - - WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE??

[passing thru]

AND CAN YOU SPELL IT OUT FOR ME AS IT WOULD BE WRITTEN ON A CONSENT FORM??? ALSO, WHAT IS Ca19-9??

THANKS FOR THE INFO.

[Tucwebb]

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.

[passing thru]

Thanks a lot for a well written - comprehensive explanation...