Ultrasonography in diagnosing chronic pancreatitis: New aspects

The course and outcome is poor for most patients with pancreatic diseases.Advances in pancreatic imaging are important in the detection of pancreatic diseases at early stages.Ultrasonography as a diagnostic tool has made,virtually speaking a technical revolution in medical imaging in the new millennium.It has not only become the preferred method for first line imaging,but also,increasingly to clarify the interpretation of other imaging modalities to obtain efficient clinical decision.We review ultrasonography modalities,focusing on advanced pancreatic imaging and its potential to substantially improve diagnosis of pancreatic diseases at earlier stages.In the first section,we describe scanning techniques and examination protocols.Their consequences for image quality and the ability to obtain complete and detailed visualization of the pancreas are discussed.In the second section we outline ultrasonographic characteristics of pancreatic diseases with emphasis on chronic pancreatitis.Finally,new developments in ultrasonography of the pancreas such as contrast enhanced ultrasound and elastography are enlightened.

Mass-forming pancreatitis: Value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography

瞄准：在在集体形成的胰腺炎和胰腺的癌之间的鉴别诊断与第二代的造影剂估计提高对比的 ultrasonography (CEUS ) 的用途。方法：从我们的收音机病理数据库，我们检索了经历了 CEUS 的集体形成的胰腺炎或胰腺的癌影响的所有病人。我们由识别“ parenchymographic ”就在集体形成的胰腺炎和胰腺的肿瘤之间的鉴别诊断的可能性而言在 173 胰腺的群众的学习评估了 CEUS 的结果改进在 CEUS 的动态阶段期间，它为集体形成的胰腺炎被认为诊断。结果：在 CEUS， 94% 集体形成的胰腺炎显示出 intralesional parenchymography。CEUS 有 88.6% 的敏感的集体形成的胰腺炎的允许的诊断， 97.8% 的特性， 91.2% 的积极预兆的价值， 97.1% 的否定预兆的价值，和外套 96% 的精确性。CEUS 显著地在在集体形成的胰腺炎和胰腺的癌之间的鉴别诊断增加了诊断信心，与操作从 0.557 的特性曲线区域的接收装置(P = 0.1608 ) 为到 0.956 的基线美国(P 【 0.0001 ) 为 CEUS。结论：CEUS 与 96% 的诊断精确性允许集体形成的胰腺炎的诊断。CEUS 显著地在从胰腺的瘤认出集体形成的胰腺炎关于基础美国增加诊断信心。

A case of chronic pancreatitis in which endoscopic ultrasonography was effective in the diagnosis of a pseudoaneurysm

Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) was performed on a patient being treated for chronic pancreatitis because a submucosal tumor was observed in the stomach during gastrointestinal endoscopy. As internal pulsa- tile blood flow on Doppler was present, the diagnosis of an aneurysm was made. The pseudoaneurysm of the left gastric artery was embolized with histoacryl and lipiodol and the splenic artery was embolized with coils at the location of the pseudoaneurysm to prevent hemorrhage. Follow up EUS confirmed the cessation of blood flow from the pseudoaneurysm. Clinicians encountering a gastric submucosal tumor-like protrusion in a patient with chronic pancreatitis should use EUS to investigate the possibility of a pseudoaneurysm, which must be treated as quickly as possible once identified.

Early endoscopic management of an infected acute necrotic collection misdiagnosed as a pancreatic pseudocyst: A case report

BACKGROUND Infected acute necrotic collection(ANC)is a fatal complication of acute pancre-atitis with substantial morbidity and mortality.Drainage plays an exceedingly important role as the first step in invasive intervention for infected necrosis;however,there is great controversy about the optimal drainage time,and better treatment should be explored.CASE SUMMARY We report the case of a 43-year-old man who was admitted to the hospital with severe intake reduction due to early satiety 2 wk after treatment for acute pancre-atitis;conservative treatment was ineffective,and a pancreatic pseudocyst was suspected on contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CT).Endoscopic ultra-sonography(EUS)suggested hyperechoic necrotic tissue within the cyst cavity.The wall was not completely mature,and the culture of the puncture fluid was positive for A-haemolytic Streptococcus.Thus,the final diagnosis of ANC in-fection was made.The necrotic collection was not walled off and contained many solid components;therefore,the patient underwent EUS-guided aspiration and lavage.Two weeks after the collection was completely encapsulated,pancreatic duct stent drainage via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP)was performed,and the patient was subsequently successfully discharged.On repeat CT,the pancreatic cysts had almost disappeared during the 6-month fo-llow-up period after surgery.CONCLUSION Early EUS-guided aspiration and lavage combined with late ERCP catheter drainage may be effective methods for intervention in infected ANCs.

Usefulness of ultrasonography to assess the response to steroidal therapy for the rare case of type 2b immunoglobulin G4-related sclerosing cholangitis without pancreatitis:A case report

BACKGROUND A type 2b immunoglobulin G4(IgG4)-related sclerosing cholangitis(SC)without autoimmune pancreatitis is a rare condition with IgG4-SC.While the variety of the imaging modalities have tested its usefulness in diagnosing the IgG4-SC,however,the usage of ultrasonography for the assessment of the response to steroidal therapy on the changes of bile duct wall thickness have not been reported in the condition.Therefore,the information of our recent case and reported cases have been summarized.CASE SUMMARY We report the case of an 82-year-old Japanese man diagnosed with isolated IgG4-related SC based on the increase of serum IgG4,narrowing of the bile duct,its wall thickness,no complication of autoimmune pancreatitis,and IgG4 positive inflammatory cell infiltration to the wall with the fibrotic changes.The cholangiogram revealed type 2b according to the classification.Corticosteroid treatment showed a favorable effect,with the smooth decrease in serum IgG4 and the improvement of the bile duct wall thickness.CONCLUSION As isolated type 2b,IgG4-SC is rare,the images,histological findings,and clinical course of our case will be helpful for physicians to diagnose and treat the new cases appropriately.

Present state of endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration for the diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis type 1

Autoimmune pancreatitis(AIP)is defined as pancreatitis caused by irregular narrowing of the pancreatic duct accompanied by pancreatic swelling,fibrosis and lymphocyte infiltration,events that are related to autoimmune mechanisms.The 2010 International Consensus Diagnostic Criteria for AIP defined pancreatitis as“type 1”when increased levels of serum IgG4 were present and other organs were involved;lymphoplasmacytic sclerosing pancreatitis was the main histological characteristic.Apart from surgery,endoscopic ultrasonographyguided fine needle aspiration(EUS-FNA)is the only method for the histological diagnosis of AIP;however,this method is difficult.The use of larger-diameter FNA needles and trucut biopsy did not improve the diagnostic performance of EUS-FNA,but it has improved gradually.In this review,we look back at past efforts to improve the diagnostic performance of EUS-FNA and reveal the present state of EUS-FNA for the histological diagnosis of AIP type 1.

Endoscopic ultrasound in chronic pancreatitis: Where are we now?

Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is well suited for assessment of the pancreas due to its high resolution and the proximity of the transducer to the pancreas, avoiding air in the gut. Evaluation of chronic pancreatitis (CP) was an early target for EUS, initially just for diagnosis but later for therapeutic purposes. The diagnosis of CP is still accomplished using the standard scoring based on nine criteria, all considered to be of equal value. For diagnosis of any CP, at least three or four criteria must be fulf illed, but for diagnosis of severe CP at least six criteria are necessary. The Rosemont classif ication, more restrictive, aims to standardize the criteria and assigns different values to different features, but requires further validation. EUS-f ine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is less advisable for diagnosis of diffuse CP due to its potential side effects. Elastography and contrast-enhanced EUS are orientation in differentiating a focal pancreatic mass in a parenchyma with features of CP, but they cannot replace EUS-FNA. The usefulness of EUS-guided celiac block for painful CP is still being debated with regard to the best technique and the indications. EUS-guided drainage of pseudocysts is preferred in non-bulging pseudocysts or in the presence of portal hypertension. EUS-guided drainage of the main pancreatic duct should be reserved for cases in which endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography has failed owing to difficult cannulation of the papilla or diff icult endotherapy. It should be performed only by highly skilled endoscopists, due to the high rate of complications.

Endoscopic management of complications of chronic pancreatitis

Pseudocysts and biliary obstructions will affect approximately one third of patients with chronic pancreatitis(CP).For CP-related,uncomplicated,pancreatic pseudocysts(PPC),endoscopy is the first-choice therapeutic option.Recent advances have focused on endosonography-guided PPC transmural drainage,which tends to replace the conventional,duodenoscope-based coma immediately approach.Ancillary material is being tested to facilitate the endosonography-guided procedure.In this review,the most adequate techniques depending on PPC characteristics are presented along with supporting evidence.For CP-related biliary obstructions,endoscopy and surgery are valid therapeutic options.Patient co-morbidities(e.g.,portal cavernoma)and expected patient compliance to repeat endoscopic procedures are important factors when selecting the most adapted option.Malignancy should be reasonably ruled out before embarking on the endoscopic treatment of presumed CP-related biliary strictures.In endoscopy,the gold standard technique consists of placing simultaneous,multiple,side-by-side,plastic stents for a oneyear period.Fully covered self-expandable metal stents are challenging this method and have provided 50%mid-term success.

Head mass in chronic pancreatitis: Inflammatory or malignant

Chronic pancreatitis increases the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. This often presents as a mass lesion in the head of pancreas. Mass lesion in the head of pancreas can also occur secondary to an inflammatory lesion. Recognising this is crucial to avoid unnecessary surgery. This is sometimes difficult as there is an overlap in clinical presentation and conventional computed tomography(CT) abdomen findings in inflammatory andmalignant mass. Advances in imaging technologies like endoscopic ultrasound in conjunction with techniques like fine needle aspiration, contrast enhancement and elastography as well as multidetector row CT, magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography scanning have been shown to help in distinguishing inflammatory and malignant mass. Research is ongoing to develop molecular techniques to help characterise focal pancreatic mass lesions. This paper reviews the current status of imaging and molecular techniques in differentiating a benign mass lesion in chronic pancreatitis and from malignancy.

A new endoscopic ultrasonography image processing method to evaluate the prognosis for pancreatic cancer treated with interstitial brachytherapy

AIM:To develop a fuzzy classification method to score the texture features of pancreatic cancer in endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS)images and evaluate its utility in making prognosis judgments for patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer treated by EUS-guided interstitial brachytherapy.METHODS:EUS images from our retrospective database were analyzed.The regions of interest were drawn,and texture features were extracted,selected,and scored with a fuzzy classification method using a C++program.Then,patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer were enrolled to receive EUS-guided iodine 125 radioactive seed implantation.Their fuzzy classification scores,tumor volumes,and carbohydrate antigen 199(CA199)levels before and after the brachytherapy were recorded.The association between the changes in these parameters and overall survival was analyzed statistically.RESULTS:EUS images of 153 patients with pancreatic cancer and 63 non-cancer patients were analyzed.A total of 25 consecutive patients were enrolled,and they tolerated the brachytherapy well without any complications.There was a correlation between the change in the fuzzy classification score and overall survival(Spearman test,r=0.616,P=0.001),whereas no correlation was found to be significant between the change in tumor volume(P=0.663),CA199 level(P=0.659),and overall survival.There were 15 patients with a decrease in their fuzzy classification score after brachytherapy,whereas the fuzzy classification score increased in another 10 patients.There was a significant difference in overall survival between the two groups(67 d vs 151 d,P=0.001),but not in the change of tumor volume and CA199 level.CONCLUSION:Using the fuzzy classification method to analyze EUS images of pancreatic cancer is feasible,and the method can be used to make prognosis judgments for patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer treated by interstitial brachytherapy.

Can ultrasound predict the severity of acute pancreatitis early by observing acute fluid collection?

INTRODUCTIONThe spectrum of acute pancreatitis (AP) ranges from a mild spontaneously resolved disorder to severe disease with mortality up to 20%-48.4%[1-3]. sAP is defined as the AP with organ failure and /or local complications which developed form acute fluid collection (AFC) including necrosis ,abscess , pseudocyst formation into or around the pancreas [4].

Biliary and pancreatic stenting:Devices and insertiontechniques in therapeutic endoscopic retrogradecholangiopancreatography and endoscopic ultrasonography

Stents are tubular devices made of plastic or metal. Endoscopic stenting is the most common treatment for obstruction of the common bile duct or of the main pancreatic duct, but also employed for the treatment of bilio-pancreatic leakages, for preventing post- endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis and to drain the gallbladder and pancreatic fluid collections. Recent progresses in techniques of stent insertion and metal stent design are represented by new, fullycovered lumen apposing metal stents. These stents are specifically designed for transmural drainage, with a saddle-shape design and bilateral flanges, to provide lumen-to-lumen anchoring, reducing the risk of migration and leakage. This review is an update of the technique of stent insertion and metal stent deployment, of the most recent data available on stent types and characteristics and the new applications for biliopancreatic stents.

Laparoscopy and laparoscopic ultrasonography in judging the resectability of pancreatic head cancer

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical value of laparoscopy and laparoscopic ultrasonography (LUS) in judging the resectability of pancreatic head cancer. METHODS: LUS was employed as a prospective diagnosis of tumor staging before exploratory laparotomy in 22 patients diagnosed with pancreatic head cancer to identify whether the liver and peritoneum had small metastases or local invasion to the portal vein, superior mesenteric vessel, aorta, inferior vena cava. RESULTS: In the 22 patients receiving laparoscopy and LUS, we found peritoneal or surface liver metastases (3 patients), hepatic parenchyma metastases (1), and pancreatitis proved by biopsy under ultrasound guidance (1). Laparotomy was avoided in these 5 patients. Of the remaining 17 patients, 8 patients, including 2 patients with portal vein emboli due to tumor metastases had hypertrophic lymph nodes or tumor invasion of local vessels in the peritoneal cavity, retroperitoneum, and omentum and the other 9 patients had resectable tumors shown by LUS. The 17 patients were subjected to exploratory laparotomy, and pancreaticoduodenectomy was successful in 8 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopy and LUS can be used to precisely estimate the possibility of resection of pancreatic head cancer, and prevent unnecessary exploratory laparotomy and its complications. It can be used as a routine examination before exploratory laparotomy.

Role of pancreatic endoscopic ultrasonography in 2010

Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) was introduced 25 years ago aiming at better visualization of the pancreas compared to transabdominal ultrasonography. This update discusses the current evidence in 2010 concerning the role of EUS in the clinical management of patients with pancreatic disease. Major indications of EUS are:(1) Detection of common bile duct stones (e.g. in acute pancreatitis); (2) Detection of small exo-and endocrine pancreatic tumours; and (3) Performance of fine needle aspiration in pancreatic masses depending on therapeutic consequences. EUS seems to be less useful in cases of chronic pancreatitis and cystic pan-creatic lesions. Moreover the constant improvement of computed tomography has limited the role of EUS in pancreatic cancer staging. On the other hand,new therapeutic options are available due to EUS,such as pancreatic cyst drainage and celiac plexus neurolysis,offering a new field in which new techniques may arise. So the main goal of this review is to determine the exact role of EUS in a number of pancreatic and biliary diseases.

New horizons in the endoscopic ultrasonography-based diagnosis of pancreatic cystic lesions

Pancreatic cystic lesions(PCLs) are increasingly being identified because of the widespread use of highresolution abdominal imaging. These cysts encompass a spectrum from malignant disease to benign lesions, and therefore, accurate diagnosis is crucial to determine the best management strategy, either surgical resection or surveillance. However, the current standard of diagnosis is not accurate enough due to limitations of imaging and tissue sampling techniques, which entail the risk of unnecessary burdensome surgery for benign lesions or missed opportunities of prophylactic surgery for potentially malignant PCLs. In the last decade, endoscopic innovations based on endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS) imaging have emerged, aiming to overcome the present limitations. These new EUS-based technologies are contrast harmonic EUS, needle-based confocal endomicroscopy, through-the-needle cystoscopy and through-the needle intracystic biopsy. Here, we present a comprehensive and critical review of these emerging endoscopic tools for the diagnosis of PCLs, with a special emphasis on feasibility, safety and diagnostic performance.

Acute pancreatitis secondary to intramural duodenal hematoma:Case report and literature review

Nontraumatic intramural duodenal hematoma(IDH) is rare disease and it is generally related to coagulation abnormalities.Reports of nontraumatic IDH associated with pancreatic disease are relatively rare,and various conditions including acute or chronic pancreatitis are thought to be associated with nontraumatic IDH.However,the association between IDH and acute pancreatitis remains unknown.We report the case of a 45-year-old man who presented with vomiting and right hypochondrial pain.He had no medical history,but was a heavy drinker.The diagnosis of IDH was established by computed tomography,ultrasonography and endoscopy,and it was complicated by acute pancreatitis.The lesions resolved with conservative management.We discuss this case in the context of previously reported cases of IDH concomitant with acute pancreatitis.In our patient,acute pancreatitis occurred concurrently with hematoma,probably due to obstruction of the duodenal papilla,or compression of the pancreas caused by the hematoma.The present analysis of the published cases of IDH with acute pancreatitis provides some information on the pathogenesis of IDH and its relationship with acute pancreatitis.

Conservative management of cholestasis with and without fever in acute biliary pancreatitis

The presence of cholestasis in both mild and severe forms of acute biliary pancreatitis(ABP)does not justify,of itself,early endoscopic retrograde cholangiography(ERC)or endoscopic sphincterotomy(ES).Clinical support treatment of acute pancreatitis for one to two weeks is usually accompanied by regression of pancreatic edema,of cholestasis and by stone migration to the duodenum in 60%-88%of cases.On the other hand,in cases with both cholestasis and fever,a condition usually characterized as ABP associated with cholangitis,early ES is normally indicated.However,in daily clinical practice,it is practically impossible to guarantee the coexistence of cholangitis and mild or severe acute pancreatitis.Pain,fever and cholestasis,as well as mental confusion and hypotension,may be attributed to inflammatory and necrotic events related to ABP. Under these circumstances,evaluation of the bile duct by endo-ultrasonography(EUS)or magnetic resonance cholangiography(MRC)before performing ERC and ES seems reasonable.Thus,it is necessary to assess the effects of the association between early and opportune access to the treatment of local and systemic inflammatory/infectious effects of ABP with cholestasis and fever, and to characterize the possible scenarios and the subsequent approaches to the common bile duct,directed by less invasive examinations such as MRC or EUS.

Autoimmune pancreatitis:Multimodality non-invasive imaging diagnosis

Autoimmune pancreatitis(AIP)is characterized by obstructive jaundice,a dramatic clinical response to steroids and pathologically by a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate,with or without a pancreatic mass.Type 1AIP is the pancreatic manifestation of an Ig G4-related systemic disease and is characterized by elevated Ig G4serum levels,infiltration of Ig G4-positive plasma cells and extrapancreatic lesions.Type 2 AIP usually has none or very few Ig G4-positive plasma cells,no serum Ig G4 elevation and appears to be a pancreas-specific disorder without extrapancreatic involvement.AIP is diagnosed in approximately 2%-6%of patients that undergo pancreatic resection for suspected pancreatic cancer.There are three patterns of autoimmune pancreatitis:diffuse disease is the most common type,with a diffuse,"sausage-like"pancreatic enlargement with sharp margins and loss of the lobular contours;focal disease is less common and manifests as a focal mass,often within the pancreatic head,mimicking a pancreatic malignancy.Multifocal involvement can also occur.In this paper we describe the features of AIP at ultrasonography,computed tomography,magnetic resonanceand positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging,focusing on diagnosis and differential diagnosis with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.It is of utmost importance to make an early correct differential diagnosis between these two diseases in order to identify the optimal therapeutic strategy and to avoid unnecessary laparotomy or pancreatic resection in AIP patients.Non-invasive imaging plays also an important role in therapy monitoring,in follow-up and in early identification of disease recurrence.

Localized type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis superimposed upon preexisting intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms

A 70-year-old woman was found to have 2 cystic lesions in the head of the pancreas on abdominal ultrasonography during a routine medical examination.Endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS)and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography showed multilocular cysts in the head of the pancreas without dilation of the main pancreatic duct.The patient was followed-up semiannually with imaging studies for suspected branch duct-type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm(IPMN).At 3 years after initial presentation,hypoechoic lesions were observed around each pancreatic cyst by EUS.Diffusion-weighted imaging showed high-intensity regions corresponding to these lesions.Therefore,a diagnosis of invasive carcinoma derived from IPMN could not be excluded,and subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed.The macroscopic examination of the surgical specimen showed whitish solid masses in the head of the pancreas,with multilocular cysts within each mass.Microscopically,each solid mass consisted of inflammatory cells such as lymphocytes and plasma cells.Furthermore,immunochemical staining revealed immunoglobulin G4-positive cells,and many obliterating phlebitides were observed.The cysts consisted of mucus-producing epithelial cells and showed a papillary growth pattern.Based on these findings,we diagnosed multiple localized type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis occurring only in the vicinity of the branch ducttype IPMN.

Endoscopic ultrasonography guided-fine needle aspirationfor the diagnosis of solid pancreaticobiliary lesions:Clinicalaspects to improve the diagnosis

Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration(EUS-FNA) has been applied to pancreaticobiliary lesions since the 1990 s and is in widespread use throughout the world today. We used this method to confirm the pathological evidence of the pancreaticobiliary lesions and to perform suitable therapies. Complications of EUS-FNA are quite rare, but some of them are severe. Operators should master conventional EUS observation and experience a minimum of 20-30 cases of supervised EUS-FNA on non-pancreatic and pancreatic lesions before attempting solo EUSFNA. Studies conducted on pancreaticobiliary EUSFNA have focused on selection of suitable instruments(e.g., needle selection) and sampling techniques(e.g., fanning method, suction level, with or without a stylet, optimum number of passes). Today, the diagnostic ability of EUS-FNA is still improving; the detection of pancreatic cancer(PC) currently has a sensitivity of 90%-95% and specificity of 95%-100%. In addition to PC, a variety of rare pancreatic tumors can be discriminated by conducting immunohistochemistry on the FNA materials. A flexible, large caliber needle has been used to obtain a large piece of tissue, which can provide sufficient histological information to be helpful in classifying benign pancreatic lesions. EUSFNA can supply high diagnostic yields even for biliary lesions or peri-pancreaticobiliary lymph nodes. This review focuses on the clinical aspects of EUS-FNA in the pancreaticobiliary field, with the aim of providing information that can enable more accurate and efficient diagnosis.