[Pancreatic carcinoma: state of the art imaging]

In view of the bad prognosis of pancreatic carcinoma the exact pre-surgical staging is essential for curative therapy. The rapid development of multi-detector computed tomography with the clinical implementation of 16 row scanners allow for almost isotropic pixel size and high-resolution multiplanar reconstruction. Sensitivity and specificity of magnetic resonance imaging are similar to those of computed tomography with lower values in the detection of vessel wall infiltration. Ultrasound may be a valuable modality for primary diagnosis.