Helical CT evaluation of arterial invasion in pancreatic tumors: comparison with angiography.
BACKGROUND
Although helical computed tomography (HCT) has been widely employed for the evaluation of pancreatic tumors, its capability in the diagnosis of peripancreatic arterial invasion has not been established.


METHODS
HCT with a sequential cine-display was carried out in 34 patients with solid pancreatic tumors and 28 control subjects without angiographic abnormality. The HCT scans were compared with angiograms.


RESULTS
All major arteries (celiac, superior mesenteric, splenic, gastroduodenal) and superoanterior pancreaticoduodenal arteries were well demonstrated by HCT in control subjects. However, posterior pancreaticoduodenal arcades and other smaller arteries were poorly identified. Although 19 major arterial invasions were equally diagnosed by HCT and angiography in patients with pancreatic tumors, only 4 of 11 minor arterial invasions were correctly diagnosed by HCT.


CONCLUSIONS
Although HCT has some limitations in the evaluation of minor peripancreatic arteries, it can provide enough information for making a decision about conducting pancreatic surgery.
Kaneko
K
K
Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maedashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812, Japan.
Honda
H
H
Hayashi
T
T
Fukuya
T
T
Ro
T
T
Irie
H
H
Masuda
K
K
D000368:Aged; D014670:Ampulla of Vater / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000792:Angiography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D003138:Common Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation*