[Echography in patients with clinically suspected pancreatic carcinoma. Analysis of a prospective study]

Cancer of the pancreas is the fourth cause of death for tumor in USA; ultrasound has been shown a sensitive and specific technique in detection of this condition. We have prospectively studied with ultrasound 76 patients with clinical suspicion of cancer of the pancreas. Forty of these patients had carcinoma of the pancreas (histologically proved) and in the other 36 patients the cancer was clinically and/or surgically excluded. Sensitivity of ultrasound was 100%; specificity was 73%. The great part of our false-positive results were patients in which ultrasound detected a modification in the head of the pancreas and in which we couldn't have a biopsy from surgeons. The role of ultrasound scanning as first procedure to use in patients with clinical suspicion of carcinoma of the pancreas is confermed.