HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Karlson, B.-M. Articles by Rastad, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Karlson, B.-M. Articles by Rastad, J.

Abdominal US for Diagnosis of Pancreatic Tumor: Prospective Cohort Analysis¹

¹ From the Departments of Surgery (B.M.K., J.R.), Cancer Epidemiology (B.M.K., A.E.), and Diagnostic Radiology (P.G.L., V.K.), University Hospital, S-75185 Uppsala, Sweden; and the Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass (A.E.). Received September 24, 1997; revision requested November 25; final revision received February 9, 1999; accepted April 4. Address reprint requests to B.M.K. (e-mail: Britt-Marie.Karlson @Kirurgi.uu.se).

PURPOSE: To elucidate the accuracy of abdominal ultrasonography (US) in the diagnosis of pancreatic tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In all patients referred for pancreatic US during 1988–1990, data on malignant disease and survival were analyzed by using the Swedish Death and Cancer Registries. Nine hundred nineteen patients were entered into the analysis. In 140 of them, a clinical diagnosis of tumor in the pancreatic area was confirmed within 1 year after US. These tumors were primary pancreatic tumors (n = 102), common bile duct and duodenal cancers (n = 17), and metastases in the pancreatic area (n = 21).

RESULTS: The sensitivity of US in the detection of all tumors in the pancreatic area was 88.6% (124 of 140 patients), which was similar to that for the detection of exocrine pancreatic cancer, 90% (79 of 88 patients). There were nine false-positive US examinations, for a specificity of 98.8% (770 of 779 patients). Systematic sampling of 94 investigations confirmed an association between US accuracy and presence of clinical symptoms of pancreatic cancer. Significant differences in the sensitivity (P < .05) and accuracy (P < .01) of diagnosis were observed between three experienced investigators.

CONCLUSION: Study results support the use of US as a first-line diagnostic examination in patients suspected of having pancreatic tumor. Dependency on the investigator's experience with US mandates continuous evaluation of its performance.

Index terms: Abdomen, US, 77.1298, 798.1298 • Pancreas, neoplasms, 77.321, 77.33 • Pancreas, US, 77.1298, 77.12985

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J A. Guthrie and M. B Sheridan Investigation of abdominal pain to detect pancreatic cancer BMJ, May 10, 2008; 336(7652): 1067 - 1069. [Full Text] [PDF]

				Pancreatic Section Guidelines for the management of patients with pancreatic cancer periampullary and ampullary carcinomas Gut, June 1, 2005; 54(suppl_5): v1 - v16. [Full Text] [PDF]

				P Manoharan and M B Sheridan Neoplasms of the pancreas Imaging, September 1, 2004; 16(4): 323 - 337. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Lopez Hanninen, H. Amthauer, N. Hosten, J. Ricke, M. Bohmig, J. Langrehr, R. Hintze, P. Neuhaus, B. Wiedenmann, S. Rosewicz, et al. Prospective Evaluation of Pancreatic Tumors: Accuracy of MR Imaging with MR Cholangiopancreatography and MR Angiography Radiology, July 1, 2002; 224(1): 34 - 41. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]