[Pancreatic cancer or autoimmune pancreatitis: endosonography as a diagnostic reviser]

Conventional radiologic imaging (abdominal ultrasound, computer tomography) used in the differential diagnosis of post-hepatic jaundice can frequently provide inaccurate diagnosis. Inflammatory lesions may mimic neoplastic processes and malignancy may be accompanied by perifocal inflammation resulting in histological misdiagnosis. Furthermore, chronic and autoimmune pancreatitis are associated with an increased risk for pancreatic cancer. Radial endosonography has become a markedly important method in the imaging of the pancreas. It has a crucial role in the diagnosis and staging of pancreatic cancer. The authors present three cases where the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer determined by conventional imaging techniques (abdominal ultrasound, computer tomography, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) was excluded or confirmed by the radial endosonography. The authors conclude that radial endosonography is an essential complementary method among imaging techniques of the pancreas and in tumor staging. Application of that may prevent unnecessary surgeries, which is obviously useful for patients and cost effective for health care providers.