Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Dual-Phase Helical CT with Surgical and Histopathologic Correlation

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the accuracy of dual-phase helical CT in assessing the resectability of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and to correlate the CT findings with the surgical and histopathologic findings. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with pathologically proven cancer of the pancreas underwent arterialand portal- phase helical CT scanning, and in two of these, single-level dynamic CT was performed during celiac and superior mesenteric arteriography. In 17 patients who underwent surgery for potentially resectable cancer of the pancreatic head, tumor resectability was assessed. The CT findings were analyzed and correlated with these of surgery and histopathology. Results: In 13 (76%) of the 17 patients who underwent surgery, tumors were resectable. Their average size was 2.76 cm (arterial phase), 2.30 cm (portal phase), and 2.48 cm (pathologically determined) and the overall accuracy of helical CT for assessing resectability was 87%. In all patients, the central portion of the tumors exhibited hypoattenuation at both phases; the peripheral portion showed hypoattenuation at the arterial phase and iso- (n=10) or hyperattenuation (n=3) at the portal phase. Single-level dynamic CT depicted a persistently ypoattenuating central portion and progressive and prolonged enhancement of the periphery. CT-histopathologic correlation showed that central hypoattenuation indicated the presence of tumor cells, necrosis (n=3) and mucin (n=4), while the peripheral iso- or hyperattenuated areas seen at the portal phase represented fibrosis and inflammatory infiltration. Histopathologic examination revealed tumoral infiltration of peripancreatic fat tissue (n=11) and microvascular invasion of major peripancreatic vessels (n=7). Conclusion: The dual-phase helical CT is useful in the determination of resectability in pancreas cancer and CT findings represent well the histopathologic features of pancreas cancer.