title: Biopsy of the pancreas with a biopsy gun.
abstract: Cutting-needle biopsy under ultrasonic guidance was performed in 47 patients with suspected pancreatic carcinoma. The final diagnosis as revealed by autopsy, surgery, or radiologic/clinical follow-up was pancreatic malignancy in 39 patients and benign disease in eight. A correct diagnosis with the aid of biopsy findings was obtained in 44 of the 47 patients (94%). In three patients with carcinoma of the pancreas, the correct diagnosis was not obtained with use of results from the first biopsy. In two of these three patients, simultaneous biopsy of a liver metastasis revealed the presence of a malignant tumor growth. After the biopsy, two patients had a vasovagal reaction, and two experienced mild pain. No case of biopsy-induced pancreatitis occurred, although in one patient a transient rise in the serum amylase level was seen. The present results show that cut biopsy of the pancreas is a useful, reliable, and nontraumatic method in the diagnosis of pancreatic malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elvin
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scheibenpflug
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Lindgren
mesh_terms: D007516:Adenoma, Islet Cell / Q000473:pathology; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009339:Needles; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*