[Pancreatic needle biopsy guided by ultrasound or CT]

24 patients suspected to have a pancreatic expansive lesion underwent a biopsy with Chiba needle: 15 biopsies were guided by US and 9 by CT. Such series regards lesions having a diameter between 2.5 and 5.5 cm with average values of 4 cm. The results showed high specificity (100%) and satisfactory accuracy (66.6%); complications never set in. The authors prove the clinical utility of this procedure instead of the laparotomy and stress the importance of a strict collaboration between radiologist and cytologist in order to achieve the best results.