Head Mass in Chronic Pancreatitis: Inflammatory or Malignant

Overview

Journal World J Gastrointest Endosc

Publisher Baishideng Publishing Group

Date 2015 Mar 20

PMID 25789097

Citations 11

Authors

Amit K Dutta

Ashok Chacko

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Chronic pancreatitis increases the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. This often presents as a mass lesion in the head of pancreas. Mass lesion in the head of pancreas can also occur secondary to an inflammatory lesion. Recognising this is crucial to avoid unnecessary surgery. This is sometimes difficult as there is an overlap in clinical presentation and conventional computed tomography (CT) abdomen findings in inflammatory and malignant mass. Advances in imaging technologies like endoscopic ultrasound in conjunction with techniques like fine needle aspiration, contrast enhancement and elastography as well as multidetector row CT, magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography scanning have been shown to help in distinguishing inflammatory and malignant mass. Research is ongoing to develop molecular techniques to help characterise focal pancreatic mass lesions. This paper reviews the current status of imaging and molecular techniques in differentiating a benign mass lesion in chronic pancreatitis and from malignancy.

Citing Articles

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Blood small extracellular vesicles derived miRNAs to differentiate pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma from chronic pancreatitis.

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