Multislice CT with single-phase technique in patients with suspected pancreatic cancer

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of multislice computed tomography (MSCT) with a single-phase technique in patients with suspected pancreatic cancer (PC).

Seventy-eight patients underwent MSCT with the following technical parameters: collimation: 4x1 mm; pitch 1; 120 kVp; 260 mAs. The pre-contrast scan was followed by a single acquisition phase in the caudocranial direction from the inferior hepatic margin to the diaphragm with a 60-s delay after IV administration of 150 ml of iodinated contrast material at a rate of 3 ml/s. Two radiologists assessed the single images independently. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were obtained for each of the two observers.

The final diagnosis was pancreatic cancer in 46 cases and chronic pancreatitis in 32 cases. Areas under the curve (AZ) for diagnosis and evaluation of disease resectability were 0.97 and 0.93 for the first observer (p=ns), and 0.97 and 0.90 for the second observer (p=ns). The mean difference in tissue attenuation values between the cancer and normal pancreas was 72 +/- 3 Hounsfield units (HU). No statistically significant differences were observed in the degree of opacification between the peripancreatic arteries and veins.

MSCT with a single-phase technique is an accurate and reproducible method for diagnosis and evaluation of disease resectability in patients with suspected PC, ensuring optimal tumour-to-pancreas contrast and maximal opacification of the main peripancreatic arterial and venous structures.