Radiology, Vol 130, 175-182, Copyright © 1979 by Radiological Society of North America
Computed body tomography in chronic pancreatitis
JT Ferrucci, J Wittenberg, EB Black, RH Kirkpatrick and DA Hall
CT of the pancrease permitted correct positive diagnosis in 28/50 or 56% of
patients with chronic pancreatitis proved by laparotomy or retrograde
ductography. Diagnoses were based on CT identification of one or more
specific hallmarks of chronic pancreatitis including calcifications (18/50
or 36%), parenchymal atrophy (7/50 or 14%) and pancreatic duct dilatation
(2/50 or 4%), as well as the principal surgical complications, pseudocyst
and abscess (15/50 or 30%). In 9 patients, CT disclosed pancreatic
calcifications not visible on conventional radiographs. In 32 patients,
ultrasound was less informative than CT giving a correct diagnosis in 8
pseudocycts (25%). In the patient with unexplained upper abdominal
complaints, a positive CT diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis permits more
confident patient management than a negative, or "no tumor" diagnosis
rendered by other noninvasive examinations.
