title: Diagnostic evaluation of solid pancreatic masses.
abstract: Determining the etiology of a solid pancreatic lesion is a critical first step toward developing an appropriate treatment plan for patients with a benign or malignant pancreatic mass. Technological advances in cross-sectional and endoscopic imaging modalities offer pancreatic imaging options with degrees of resolution that were not available even 15-20 years ago. In most cases, the nature of a solid pancreatic mass can be determined using computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and endoscopic ultrasound with fine-needle aspiration. Knowledge about the basics of these modalities, as well as their strengths and limitations, plays an important role in understanding how patients with solid pancreatic masses should be evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Jeffrey.Tokar@fccc.edu
authors.forename: Jeffrey L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Tokar
authors.forename: Rohit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Walia
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D061765:Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration / Q000379:methods; D019160:Endosonography / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed