title: Clinical approach to the patient with a solid pancreatic mass.
abstract: Diagnosis and clinical work-up of a solid pancreatic mass is a challenging problem. Patients' history, laboratory parameters, computed tomography magnetic resonance imaging, and endosonography are the cornerstones in diagnosis. Biopsy is indicated in selected patients. The main goal of surgical indication is to select patients with suspected malignancy who are resectable, but avoid unnecessary resections. About 5 % of patients resected due to suspicion of malignancy finally present with a benign histology. Autoimmune pancreatitis is the most frequent cause of such unnecessary resections.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Surgery, Krankenhaus der Elisabethinen, Fadingerstrasse 1, 4020, Linz, Austria, reinhold.fuegger@elisabethinen.or.at.
authors.forename: Reinhold
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Függer
authors.forename: Odo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gangl
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Fröschl
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000465:Algorithms; D001317:Austria; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D001706:Biopsy; D049448:Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D019160:Endosonography; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed