Correlation of CT enhancement, tumor angiogenesis and pathologic grading of pancreatic carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To study the correlation between pancreatic phase CT enhancement, intratumor microvessel density (MVD) and pathologic grading of pancreatic carcinoma and to evaluate the relationship between the degrees of CT enhancement and malignancy of pancreatic carcinoma.


METHODS
Thirty four patients with pancreatic carcinoma underwent CT scanning before resection. The enhancement degrees and forms of tumor were observed in pancreatic phase. The operative sample was stained with HE and CD34 marked by immunohistochemistry. MVD and histopathological grades of pancreatic carcinoma were examined. CT enhancement of the tumor, MVD counting in hot spot areas of neoplastic parenchymal cells and pathological grades of pancreatic carcinoma were comparatively analyzed.


RESULTS
Highly differentiated pancreatic adenocarcinoma was identified in 16 patients, moderately-differentiated tumor in 7 and poorly-differentiated in 11. Isodensity CT enhancement was demonstrated in 13 cases, slightly low density enhancement in 9, slightly low density enhancement with small cystic lesions in 9 and slightly low density enhancement with large cystic lesions in 3. The counting of MVD with CD34 marked by immunohistochemistry in hot spot areas of neoplastic parenchyma cells was small in 10 cases, medium in 16 and large in 8. The pathological grades correlated well with CT enhancement of the tumor (r=0.7857, P<0.001) and with MVD counting of tumor (r=0.3613, P<0.05). The CT enhancement of tumor correlated with MVD(r=0.6768, P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
There is an obvious and significant correlation between CT enhancement, pathological grades and MVD number in the hot spot areas of tumor. The extent of CT enhancement is inversely proportional to the malignant degree of pancreatic carcinoma, and to the MVD number in the hot spot areas of neoplastic parenchyma. The MVD in the hot spot areas of neoplastic parenchyma cells can also reflect the prognosis of the patients, and is directly proportional to the malignant degree of pancreatic carcinoma.
Wang
Zhong-Qiu
ZQ
Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210002, Jiangsu Province, China. zhq2001us@yahoo.com
Li
Jie-Shou
JS
Lu
Guang-Ming
GM
Zhang
Xin-Hua
XH
Chen
Zi-Qian
ZQ
Meng
Kui
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed