[Echography with fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the pancreas]

The results from 116 echographic investigations of 74 females and 42 males with confirmed pancreas carcinoma are discussed, the patient aged from 27 to 80 years. The diagnosis has been confirmed operatively in 92, at necropsy--in 16 and clinically--in 8. Thin needle aspiration biopsy (TAB), under echographic control was performed to 47 patients. The results were compared with the results obtained by computer tomography, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and selective angiography. It has been established that the combination of echography with TAB results in 81.9% accuracy of the method, in 6% presumed neoplastic diagnosis and in 22.1% the diagnosis was not made. The results are significantly better than those obtained only by echography (p less than 0.01). A diagnostic scheme for the timely diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is presented.