An evaluation of pancreatographic findings in the differential diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer

In an attempt to evaluate the pancreatographic findings, particularly of the pancreatic duct branches, in the differrential diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis and Pancreatic cancer, twenty seven post mortem pancreases were subjected to retrograde pancreatography and histological examination. The materials consist of 15 cases with chronic pancreatitis and 12 cases with pancreatic cancer. The results obtained are as follows. 1) In cases with chronic pancreatitis, abnormal findindings such as irregular dilatation, straightening-hardening, narrowing-stenosis of the pancreatic duct branches were more common. 2) Incases with pancreatic cancer, abnormal findings such as diminishing, irregular dilatation, narrowing-stenosis of the pancreatic duct branches were more common. 3) Abnormal findings in cases with chronic pancreatitis reveled the dendency of diffuse expansion, on the other hand, in case with pancreatic cancer revealed the tendency of localized expansion. 4) When the fine and clear pancreatography was obtained, it was possible to predict the presence of chronic inflammation or tumor cell infiltration from above findings and tendencies. On the contrary, in cases with localized, severe chronic pancreatitis and in cases with complicated, it was difficult to differentiate the pancreatic cancer from chronic pancreatitis