Related Experiment Video For MRCP
Updated: Jan 4, 2026

Oncogene Expression Analysis with Alterations in pH in a Pancreatic Ductal Cell Line
Published on: April 11, 2025
Pancreatitis and PDAC: association and differentiation
Sherif B Elsherif1,2, Mayur Virarkar3, Sanaz Javadi3
1The Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Pressler St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA. sherif.b.elsherif@gmail.com.
Abstract:
The discrimination of mass-forming chronic pancreatitis (MFCP) from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a central diagnostic dilemma. It is important to differentiate these entities since they have markedly different prognoses and management. Importantly, the appearance of these two entities significantly overlaps on a variety of imaging modalities. However, there are imaging features that may be suggestive of one entity more than the other. MFCP and PDAC may show different enhancement patterns on perfusion computed tomography (CT) and/or dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI). The duct-penetrating sign on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is more often associated with MFCP, whereas abrupt cutoff with upstream dilatation of the main pancreatic duct and the double-duct sign (obstruction/cutoff of both the common bile duct and pancreatic duct) are more often associated with PDAC. Nevertheless, tissue sampling is the most reliable method to differentiate between these entities and is currently generally necessary for management.
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