Duodenal adenocarcinoma successfully diagnosed with transabdominal ultrasonography

Adenocarcinoma arising from the duodenum is relatively rare. Diagnosis of this disease at an early stage is difficult because its symptoms are usually nonspecific. We herein present a case in which duodenal adenocarcinoma was successfully found by transabdominal ultrasonography. Under ultrasonography, the tumor was located in the proximal duodenum apart from the papilla of Vater, and the serosa was intact. Other diagnostic modalities showed no evidence of adjacent organ invasion or distant metastasis. Therefore, pancreatoduodenectomy was performed and the postoperative course was uneventful. The ultrasonographic findings corresponded well with the pathological diagnosis. The following three procedures were essential in this case: systematic scanning of the digestive tract to determine the location of the lesion, graded compression ultrasound to remove air bubbles from the region of interest, and precise observation of the intestinal walls using proper transducers. The precise and skillful performance of transabdominal ultrasonography using a suitable device can help to diagnose duodenal adenocarcinoma, a rare malignancy.