Pancreatic metastases: CT and MRI findings.
OBJECTIVE
The pancreas is an unusual but occasionally favored site for metastases in patients with advanced malignancy. The pivotal role of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination in detecting the pancreatic mass and providing guidance to obtain a definitive tissue diagnosis is emphasized in this study.


METHODS
Eleven patients with pancreatic metastases, 4 women and 7 men with a mean age of 62.45 years, were examined in a period of 5 years. All patients underwent CT examination and 3 patients were further evaluated by MRI.


RESULTS
The primary malignancy was lung carcinoma in 7 patients, breast carcinoma in 3 patients and renal cell carcinoma in 1 patient. The pancreatic metastases were detected during initial staging in 4 cases and during follow-up in 7 cases. The type of metastases was solitary in 7 patients, multiple in 3 patients and diffuse in 1 patient, with rim or homogeneous enhancement. Seven patients had metastases to other organs. CT-guided biopsy was performed in 5 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Disparity in prognosis and management of patients with secondary pancreatic tumors makes detection and characterization of metastases to the pancreas an important goal of CT and MRI evaluation.
Tsitouridis
Ioannis
I
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Diamantopoulou
Aglaia
A
Michaelides
Michael
M
Arvanity
Mary
M
Papaioannou
Sofia
S
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media