[A comparative study of histopathological findings and CT images related to pancreatic carcinomas. An attempt at diagnosis in tissue characterization by CT].

From January 1980 to February 1991, computed tomography (CT) images of 39 patients with pancreatic carcinoma who had undergone surgery at the National Cancer Center Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. The average age of the patients was 63.0 years (the range was from 45 to 78), with 19 males and 20 females. The histopathological diagnosis was tubular adenocarcinoma in 35 cases, papillary adenocarcinoma in 2 and other diagnoses in 2. The tumor was located at the head of the pancreas in 25 cases and at the body and/or tail in 12. In the remaining 2 cases, the tumor was at the head and body in one, and at the whole pancreas in the other. The CT images were compared with the histopathological findings, and four parameters were determined to establish the histological characterization of pancreatic carcinomas in CT: density (plain CT, CE-CT) characteristics, margin of the tumor, and delayed contrast enhancement. CT findings such as irregular margin and heterogeneous characteristics of the tumor were associated with the macroscopic type of cut surface and INF. The infiltrative cancerous extension was especially reflective of the margin irregularity of the tumor on CE-CT. On the delayed CT scan performed on 9 patients, the low density tumor on early contrast enhanced CT became isodense with the surrounding parenchyma. According to these findings, the possibility exists that delayed contrast enhancement relate to fibrous tissue. In conclusion, there was a good correlation between CT images and histopathological findings related to pancreatic carcinomas.