title: A solid pancreatic mass: tumour or inflammation?
abstract: The prognosis for pancreatic cancer is poor, and early diagnosis is essential for surgical management. By comparison with its classic form, the presence of acute or chronic inflammatory signs will hinder its detection and delay its diagnosis. The atypical forms of acute pancreatitis need to be known in order to detect patients who require additional morphological investigations to search for an underlying tumour. In contrast, pseudotumoral forms of inflammation (chronic pancreatitis, cystic dystrophy in heterotopic pancreas, autoimmune pancreatitis) may simulate a cancer, and make up 5-10% of the surgical procedures for suspected cancer. Faced with these pseudotumoral masses, interpretation relies on various differentiating signs and advances in imaging.
authors.affiliation: Central Radiology and Imaging Department, Hôtel-Dieu, CHU de Nantes, 1, place Alexis-Ricordeau, 44093 Nantes cedex 1, France. eric.frampas@chu-nantes.fr
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frampas
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Morla
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Regenet
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eugène
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dupas
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Meurette
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis*
keywords: Abdomen; Inflammation; Pancreas; Tumour