Gut Liver.  2018 Sep;12(5):591-596. 10.5009/gnl17391.

Contrast-Enhanced Endoscopic Ultrasound for Differentially Diagnosing Autoimmune Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. drsong@amc.seoul.kr
  • 2Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, Korea.
  • 3Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
  • 4Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Nowon Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
Differentially diagnosing focal-type autoimmune pancreatitis (f-AIP) and pancreatic cancer (PC) is challenging. Contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasound (CEH-EUS) may provide information for differentiating pancreatic masses. In this study, we evaluated the usefulness of CEH-EUS in differentiating f-AIP from PC.
METHODS
Data were collected prospectively and analyzed on patients who underwent CEH-EUS between May 2014 and May 2015. Eighty consecutive patients were diagnosed with f-AIP or PC. PC and f-AIP were compared for enhancement intensity, contrast agent distribution, and internal vasculature.
RESULTS
The study group comprised 53 PC patients and 27 f-AIP patients (17 with type-1 AIP [15 definite and two probable], two with probable type-2 AIP, and eight with AIP, not otherwise specified). Hyper- to iso-enhancement in the arterial phase (f-AIP, 89% vs PC, 13%; p < 0.05), homogeneous contrast agent distribution (f-AIP, 81% vs PC, 17%; p < 0.05), and absent irregular internal vessels (f-AIP, 85% vs PC, 30%; p < 0.05) were observed more frequently in the f-AIP group. The combination of CEH-EUS and enhancement intensity, absent irregular internal vessels improved the specificity (94%) in differentiating f-AIP from PC.
CONCLUSIONS
CEH-EUS may be a useful noninvasive modality for differentially diagnosing f-AIP and PC. Combined CEH-EUS findings could improve the specificity of CEH-EUS in differentiating f-AIP from PC.

Keyword

Autoimmune pancreatitis; Contrast media; Endosonography; Biopsy, fine-needle; Pancreatic neoplasms

MeSH Terms

Biopsy, Fine-Needle
Contrast Media
Endosonography
Humans
Pancreatic Neoplasms*
Pancreatitis*
Prospective Studies
Sensitivity and Specificity
Ultrasonography*
Contrast Media
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