Magnetic Resonance Cholangiography What is Magnetic resonance Cholangiography? This MRI scan allows detailed visualization of the liver and bile ducts. It is an alternative to the more invasive test "endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancretography (ERCP)." With MRI, the patient simply lies on the MRI scanner table for 30 minutes while scans are obtained. There is no need for sedation or placement of tubes. What patients benefit from this test? Patients with right upper quadrant pain of a type that suggests bile duct disorder or ductal gallstone constitute the most common group of patient s who undergo this test. In general, the test is performed to search for a stone in the bile duct. These stones can be a source of pain in the right upper abdomen. What should I expect after the procedure? After the 40 minute test, you can get dressed and immediately return to normal activity. There are no lingering side effects from MRI scanning. Magnetic Resonance Cholangiogram is available at the following locations: California Advanced Imaging at CPMC (San Francisco) Mills Peninsula (San Mateo County) Seton Medical Center (San Mateo County) Marin Magnetic Imaging (Marin County) Novato MRI (Marin County)