Book Chapter

Pancreatic malignancy

Giovanni Morana, Michele Fusaro, Alex Faccinetto, Faccinetto, Alex, Morana, Giovanni, Fusaro, Michele

2020

Overview

Neoplastic lesions of the pancreas represent a heterogeneous group of entities that can be discovered incidentally at imaging or during examinations tailored towards suspected pancreatic disease. Accurate imaging is essential in the differential diagnosis, since prognosis, management, and therapies vary. Imaging of pancreatic neoplasms may help in detection, characterization, and staging. Suitable imaging modalities include ultrasonography (US) and US-related techniques, multislice computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and nuclear medicine. A multimodality approach is mandatory and has a synergistic effect in improving diagnostic accuracy. Neoplastic lesions of the pancreas represent a heterogeneous group of entities that can be discovered incidentally at imaging or during examinations tailored towards suspected pancreatic disease. Imaging of pancreatic neoplasms may help in detection, characterization, and staging. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) represents up to 90% of all tumours of the exocrine pancreas and is the second most common gastrointestinal malignancy after colorectal cancer. The gross pathological features of PDA are of a mass with irregular ill-defined contours, a significant fibrous component, and, less frequently, necrotic changes. The absence of dilatation of the biliary and pancreatic ducts is observed in nearly 15% of cases of cephalic PDA (34). In these cases, PDA diagnosis is more challenging and there is a wider differential.

• Publisher: CRC Press,Taylor & Francis Group
• ISBN: 9781138301238, 113830123X