[Carcinoma of the pancreas: conventional roentgenologic procedures (author's transl)]

Hypotonic duodenography has opened up new dimensions in the diagnosis of space-occupying lesions of the head of the pancreas. The procedure with out intubation has become routine over the last few years. Differentiation between severe alterations caused by chronic relapsing pancreatitis and those caused by a carcinoma of the pancreas is only seldom possible, whereas inflammatory swellings and tumors of Vater's Papilla are easily recognized. Endoscopy is necessary for confirmation of the diagnosis. When jaundice is already present, transhepatic cholangiography can yield more information; in the pre-icteric phase intravenous cholangiography can also be useful. More complicated diagnostic procedures should not be applied until all conventional roentgenologic methods have been exhausted.