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Imaging mimics of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

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Abdominal Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the most common primary malignancy of the pancreas. The classic imaging features are a hypovascular mass with proximal ductal dilatation. Different pancreatic pathologies can mimic the imaging appearance of carcinoma including other tumors involving the pancreas (pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, lymphoma, metastasis, and rare tumors like pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma and solid pseudopapillary tumors), inflammatory processes (chronic pancreatitis and autoimmune pancreatitis), and anatomic variants (annular pancreas). Differentiation between these entities can sometimes be challenging due to overlap of imaging features. The purpose of this article is to describe the common entities that can mimic pancreatic cancer on imaging with illustrative examples and to suggest features that can help in differentiation of these entities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA

    Namita S. Gandhi & Myra K. Feldman

  2. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Ott Le

  3. Digestive Disease Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Gareth Morris-Stiff

Authors
  1. Namita S. Gandhi
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  2. Myra K. Feldman
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  3. Ott Le
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  4. Gareth Morris-Stiff
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Correspondence to Namita S. Gandhi.

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Gandhi, N.S., Feldman, M.K., Le, O. et al. Imaging mimics of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Abdom Radiol 43, 273–284 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-017-1330-1

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