title: Differentiation of a pancreatic metastasis of a renal cell carcinoma from a primary pancreatic carcinoma by echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography.
abstract: In a 70-year-old patient who had been treated for a renal cell carcinoma, a pancreatic mass was detected on CT scan. To differentiate a pancreatic metastasis of the renal cell carcinoma from a pancreatic carcinoma, an echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography was performed. The pancreatic mass demonstrated a strong echo enhancement, proving its hypervascularization. This behaviour favoured the diagnosis of a pancreatic metastasis of the renal cell carcinoma which was confirmed by histology. The principles and the role of echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography in the differential diagnosis between a primary pancreatic carcinoma and a metastasis of a renal carcinoma in the pancreas are discussed. We conclude that this technique can provide an important contribution to the diagnosis in this special instance. However, histology is the standard in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic tumours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Haematology, University Hospital Charité (Campus Mitte), Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. bernd.flath@charite.de
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Flath
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rickes
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schweigert
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lochs
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Possinger
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wermke
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media