title: Imaging of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: State of the art.
abstract: Significant advances in imaging technology have changed the management of pancreatic cancer. In computed tomography (CT), this has included development of multidetector row, rapid, thin-section imaging that has also facilitated the advent of advanced reconstructions, which in turn has offered new perspectives from which to evaluate this disease. In magnetic resonance imaging, advances including higher field strengths, thin-section volumetric acquisitions, diffusion weighted imaging, and liver specific contrast agents have also resulted in new tools for diagnosis and staging. Endoscopic ultrasound has resulted in the ability to provide high-resolution imaging rivaling intraoperative ultrasound, along with the ability to biopsy via real time imaging suspected pancreatic lesions. Positron emission tomography with CT, while still evolving in its role, provides whole body staging as well as the unique imaging characteristic of metabolic activity to aid disease management. This article will review these modalities in the diagnosis and staging of pancreatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Eric Peter Tamm, Priya Ranjit Bhosale, Raghu Vikram, Leonardo Pimentel de Almeida Marcal, Aparna Balachandran, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Division of Diagnostic Imaging, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77230-1402, United States.
authors.forename: Eric Peter
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Tamm
authors.forename: Priya Ranjit
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Bhosale
authors.forename: Raghu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vikram
authors.forename: Leonardo Pimentel
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: de Almeida Marcal
authors.forename: Aparna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balachandran
keywords: Diffusion; Endoscopic ultrasound; Magnetic resonance imaging; Multidetector row computed tomography; Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; Positron emission tomography with computed tomography