title: Groove pancreatic carcinomas: radiological and pathological findings.
abstract: The aim of this study was to clarify the characteristics of pancreatic head carcinomas mainly invading the groove between the duodenum and the pancreatic head. Nine patients with pathologically proven pancreatic head carcinomas underwent thin-slice dynamic CT, MR imaging, duodenal endoscopy, and angiography (seven patients). Plate-like masses within the groove region were seen in all cases, which showed hypointensity on T1-weighted images and slight hyperintensity on T2-weighted MR images. The masses appeared hypovascular in the early phase and delayed enhancement in the late phase of dynamic CT and MR imaging. On MR cholangiopancreatography, stenosis of intrapancreatic common bile duct was seen in all patients, whereas stenosis of the main pancreatic duct was seen in only three cases. Endoscopy revealed luminal narrowing of the duodenum in all patients, and duodenal mucosal biopsy demonstrated adenocarcinoma in seven patients. Abdominal arteriography showed serrated encasement of peripancreatic arteries in seven patients who received angiographic examinations. The CT and MR imaging findings of groove pancreatic carcinomas resemble those of groove pancreatitis. Differential diagnosis may be achieved by the pathological diagnosis of a biopsy specimen of the duodenal mucosa and arterial encasement on arteriography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kanazawa University, School of Medicine, 13-1 Takara-machi, Kanazawa City 920-8641, Japan. gabata@med.m.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Toshifumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gabata
authors.forename: Masumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kadoya
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Terayama
authors.forename: Junichiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sanada
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Matsui
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D003135:Common Bile Duct / Q000473:pathology; D004384:Duodenoscopy; D004386:Duodenum / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed