Findings of cholangiopancreatography in pseudotumorous pancreatitis

The cholangiopancreatographic findings in 22 patients with pseudotumorous pancreatitis (PTP) were evaluated on the basis of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC). All patients were found with a focal mass in the pancreas based on the findings of ultrasound and/or CT. However, only one patient had been diagnosed correctly as suffering from chronic pancreatitis by ERCP. Normal pancreatic duct was found in 4 patients. There were five patients having abnormal pancreatic ducts, but findings of ERCP could not provide definite diagnosis. In the remaining 12 patients the abnormalities of pancreatic and/or bile ducts were strikingly similar to those found in pancreatic carcinoma. Double duct sign was also seen in one patient. All these 12 patients were incorrectly diagnosed as having pancreatic carcinoma. It is concluded that ERCP/PTC has little value in detecting PTP.