[Diagnostic strategies of the pancreas]

Once a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis is established, it is necessary to discriminate between the edematous-interstitial and the necrotizing course of the disease, to detect early infection and to determine the extent of necrosis by angiography and CT. After diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis it is imperative to ascertain the severity by endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP), the impairment of function by the secretin-pancreozymin test as well spread to neighbouring organs. Beginning with the clinical picture, pancreatic carcinoma can be detected with great reliability by ERCP, contrast CT, tumor markers and fine-needle aspiration.