Advances in imaging for pancreatic disease

Pancreatic imaging is an essential tool in the early diagnosis and staging of pancreatic disease. This review analyzes the most recent advances in pancreatic imaging. The specific modalities discussed include helical computed tomography (HCT) and multislice CT (MSCT), CT angiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), and positron emission tomography (PET). At present, MSCT is generally viewed as the most efficient modality for initial detection and staging of pancreatic carcinoma, with an accuracy rate of about 95% to 97% for initial detection and virtually 100% for staging. CT is also the initial imaging modality used in evaluation of acute pancreatitis. However, recently, MRI has been viewed increasingly as a more precise diagnostic tool in this subgroup of patients. MRCP has been accepted as the primary imaging technique in the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis. PET imaging, on the other hand, has an increasing role in the staging of pancreatic carcinoma, for which it may be the modality of choice in detection of extrapancreatic metastasis.