Diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma by means of endoscopic retrograde pancreatography and pancreatic cytology.

Endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP) combined with pancreatic juice cytology, was performed in 14 patients with pancreatic carcinoma confirmed at subsequent laparotomy. ERP demonstrated duct abnormalities that were diagnosed as carcinoma in 86% of the cases and as suggestive of carcinoma in another 14%. Cytology was positive in 86% and suspicious in 7%. By combining both methods, all 14 carcinomas were correctly identified. Thus, in our hands, ERP and pancreatic juice cytology proved to be the most sensitive and reliable methods in detecting pancreatic carcinoma. On the basis of these promising results it is proposed that pancreatic juice cytology, which is a no-risk method, should be employed in all elderly patients with unexplained abdominal complaints, to screen them for early pancreatic carcinoma.