DOCTORS at a Dublin hospital have developed a test for gall stones and cancer of the bile duct which, they say, is much safer, faster and less painful for the thousands of Irish patients who undergo the traditional test each year.
The test to check for any sign of a blockage takes less than a minute and is in contrast to the traditional method which can cause death in up to 2 per cent of cases and extreme illness in up to 9 per cent of patients.
The new method was developed by staff in the Department of Radiology at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin who presented it to an international medical conference in the US last month.
"We are very excited about this breakthrough," said Prof Michael Lee, consultant radiologist. "It is faster, safer and more comfortable for patients.
The test is carried out using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner which is normally used for detecting soft-tissue injury, whiplash and sports injuries.
Until now patients had to undergo an ERCP test which involved putting a scope, with a camera attached, down the throat into the stomach and injecting the bile ducts with dye.
"This caused patients a lot of discomfort and they had to be heavily sedated. It was not a regular, straightforward, test and caused some nasty side-effects, including, in some cases, death," said Prof Lee.
He said the MRI scanner gives "marvellous images of stones and tumours" while the patients simply lie in the machine.
"It just takes one minute and the test is complete. The ERCP took up to an hour and was very painful."
The findings were presented at the Radiology Society of North America in December where it had a "very good reception".
A pilot study of loo patients was carried out in Beaumont indicating a 98 per cent accuracy.
"It is being used now in Italy and the US as well," he said.
The one drawback was purchasing the MRI scanner. which could cost up to £2 million to buy.