title: Pancreatic neoplasia: a practical cross-sectional imaging primer for the nonradiologist.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this article is to provide a practical review of basic pancreatic imaging protocols and key cross-sectional imaging findings of the more common pancreatic neoplasms.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a literature search and reviewed numerous cases archived in the radiology department of a large university hospital to find examples which illustrate the key cross-sectional imaging findings of pancreatic neoplasms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We reviewed the literature and provided several practical examples of common cross-sectional imaging findings in patients with pancreatic neoplasms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cross-sectional imaging plays a pivotal role in the evaluation of pancreatic neoplasms and allows proper triage of patients for conservative, medical or surgical management due to its ability to reliably detect and characterize pancreatic lesions, determine involvement of local structures, and assess metastatic disease. Familiarity with the key imaging findings will allow the clinician to better implement imaging data into daily practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. hellermt@upmc.edu
authors.forename: Matthew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fargiano
mesh_terms: D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*