[Studies on magnetic resonance imaging of pancreatic cancer]

Diagnostic ability of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) was evaluated in 41 patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent surgery 1 to 43 days following MRI. MRI of surgical specimens revealed that pancreatic cancer and caudal pancreatitis showed similar intensities when compared with the normal pancreas. The usefulness of the contrast medium, Gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA), was confirmed in the differentiation between cancer and caudal pancreatitis. In the diagnosis of tumor extension, portal vein invasion was better diagnosed by MRI than by angiography. (Spearman's rank correlation test showed higher correlation in MRI than in angiography, p = 0.501, 0.464, respectively.) In the diagnosis of the invasion to the anterior pancreatic capsule its sensitivity was 43%, specificity 81% and efficiency 59%. Retropancreatic invasion was diagnosed with a sensitivity of 48%, a specificity of 90% and an efficiency of 59%. Lymph-node metastasis was well demonstrated especially near the pancreas but beyond them it was difficult. The liver metastasis was correctly diagnosed in 7 of 9 cases and was confirmed by laparotomy.