[The importance of liver scanning in pancreatic carcinoma (author's transl)]

One of several liver scans were obtained in 29 patients with carcinoma of the pancreas. Scanning of the liver offers several advantages in cases of suspected carcinoma of the pancreas: (1) It may prove malignancy in jaundiced patients without a detectable primary tumor (frequency carcinoma of the pancreas). (2) It may contribute to the differential diagnosis of jaundice when signs of extrahepatic biliary obstruction or metastases can be seen. (3) It is the least strenuous diagnostic method in seriously ill and old patients who are often in very poor condition; sometimes it can spare the patients a laparotomy.