Pancreatic uncinate carcinoma: sonographic findings.
BACKGROUND
Pancreatic carcinoma arising from the uncinate process (pancreatic uncinate carcinoma) is relatively rare. We wished to define its clinical manifestations and sonographic findings.


METHODS
Clinical and sonographic data of eight cases were reviewed.


RESULTS
The common bile duct and the pancreatic duct were not dilated until a very late stage. The lesion mimicked a mesenteric tumor in two cases. The superior mesenteric vessels were compressed anteriorly. Computed tomography was useful, not only for confirming the pancreatic uncinate origin of the lesion but also for determining precisely the mode of mesenteric vascular involvement.


CONCLUSIONS
Knowledge of these unusual sonographic findings can determine the diagnostic strategy in pancreatic uncinate carcinoma.
Sato
M
M
First Department of Internal Medicine, Akita University School of Medicine,1-1-1 Hondo, Akita, Japan.
Ishida
H
H
Konno
K
K
Hamashima
Y
Y
Naganuma
H
H
Komatsuda
T
T
Funaoka
M
M
Ishida
J
J
Watanabe
S
S
D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color