title: [Intraoperative ultrasonography in the staging of pancreatic head neoplasms].
abstract: Tumours of the head of the pancreas constitute the fourth most common cause of cancer deaths. These tumours are characterised by low survival rates (5% at 5 years) and low surgical resectability rates (20-25%). Liver metastases, lymph-node and vascular involvement, and peritoneal metastases are, in our opinion, exclusion criteria for curative surgical resection. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of intraoperative ultrasonography on the staging of such tumours. Over the period from 1990 to 2000 we introduced intraoperative ultrasonography in the staging of pancreatic cancer. We evaluated 51 patients who at preoperative staging had been regarded as candidates for surgical therapy consisting in a pancreaticoduodenectomy. All patients had been staged by preoperative abdominal ultrasound, ERCP, CT and MRI. Intraoperative ultrasound and colour-Doppler imaging (from 1997 on) revealed involvement of (i) the liver, (ii) the splenomesenteric vessels and (iii) the portal vein. Intraoperative ultrasonography yielded a diagnosis of occult liver metastases in 10 cases and signs of vascular involvement (absence of cleavage, partial and total thrombosis) in 12. One false-negative was registered. Intraoperative ultrasonography in our experience showed 98% sensitivity and specificity in the detection of vascular and lymph-node involvement. Its sensitivity in the detection of liver metastases was 100%. Intraoperative ultrasound is a procedure with a very high sensitivity in the operative staging of cancer of the head of the pancreas.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Chirurgia Generale, 1a Clinica Chirurgica Generale e Terapia Chirurgica, Via Consolare Valeria, Gazzi, 98100 Messina.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alberti
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dattola
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Littori
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dattola
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maccarone
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Basile
mesh_terms: D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016577:Pancreaticoduodenectomy; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
vernacular_title: L'ecografia intraoperatoria nella stadiazione delle neoplasie cefalopancreatiche.