[Sonography and pharmacoangiography of the pancreas (author's transl)]

Real-Time-Sonography and pharmacoangiography with vasodilating drugs was performed in 63 patients with suspected pancreatic disease. Confirmation of the pancreatic lesion could be obtained in 41 cases by the symptomatology, pancreatic function test, autopsy, operation, laparoscopy with fine-needle-biopsy and by the roentgenologic visualization of pancreatic calcifications. Considering the relatively advanced disease of pancreatic carcinoma in our six patients the sonographic diagnosis was correct in all of them and with pharmacoangiography we failed on one case. In chronic pancreatitis correct diagnostic results with pharmacoangiography could be obtained in 8 of 18 cases and with sonography in 14 of 18 patients. In this study sonography showed certain advantages in comparison with angiography, but both methods were complementary and a better result in the differential diagnosis between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic carcinoma could be achieved.