Pancreatic Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Pancreatic Cancer, including details on symptoms, causes, treatment, information.

MRI of the pancreas: tumours and tumour-simulating processes.

Schima W

Department of Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. wolfgang.schima@meduniwien.ac.at

The most important issues in pancreatic imaging are the detection and staging of pancreatic cancer, differentiation between cancer and focal pancreatitis, the characterization of cystic lesions and the search for neuroendocrine tumours. Magnetic resonance (MR) units (1.5 T) with strong gradients and a phased-array torso coil should be used, making breath-hold imaging possible in order to avoid motion artifacts. Standard imaging sequences are T1-weighted (T1w) gradient recalled-echo (GRE) with and without fat saturation. For T2-weighted (T2w) imaging, axial single-shot turbo spin-echo (TSE) and coronal/oblique MR cholangio-pancreatography (MRCP) pulse sequences are preferable. As contrast agents either gadolinium agents or mangafodipir trisodium are used. Dynamic gadolinium-enhanced T1w fatsat 3D GRE images are helpful to delineate vessel infiltration by adenocarcinoma and to assess the aetiology of cystic masses. Mangafodipir-enhanced MRI has been found to be superior to helical computed tomography (CT) in the detection of small cancers and in the delineation of liver metastases. In cases of an equivocal pancreatic mass the presence of the "duct penetrating sign" at MRCP (i.e., the duct traversing the mass) is suggestive of an inflammatory pseudotumour. Hypoattenuation due to focal fatty infiltration may mimic a tumour at CT, but in-phase and opposedphased T1w imaging readily depicts the fat. Multi-detector CT has gained increasing popularity for pancreatic imaging because of the 3D visualization of the peripancreatic vessels. However, MR imaging is excellent in the delineation of small pancreatic tumours. Due to its superior soft tissue contrast, MR imaging is also the method of choice in the differential diagnosis between tumours and tumour-simulating conditions in patients with equivocal CT and to assess cystic lesions.

Published 8 January 2007 in Cancer Imaging, 6: 199-203.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Pancreatic Cancer Research Today. All Rights Reserved.