CT and US findings of pancreatoblastoma.

PURPOSE

Our goal was to evaluate US and CT findings of pancreatoblastoma.

METHOD

Three US and four CT scans before surgery and one follow-up CT after surgery were reviewed in four patients (two female, two male) with pathologically proven pancreatoblastoma. The mean age of the patients was 4 years (range 2-5 years). The masses were analyzed for origin, US and CT architecture, presence of calcification, enhancement pattern, and metastatic spread.

RESULTS

In two patients, the tumors arose from the pancreatic head and in one patient from the pancreatic tail. The mean largest diameter of the masses was 10 cm, ranging from 5 to 14 cm. Sonography obtained from three cases showed mixed echogenic solid mass. On the CT scan, all tumors were huge, lobulated masses with heterogeneous attenuation. One tumor contained numerous foci of calcification. On the enhanced CT scan, three tumors showed multiloculated appearance by enhancing internal septations. There was no evidence of metastasis to distant organ or abdominal lymph node in any case.

CONCLUSION

We suggest that the most common US finding of pancreatoblastoma is a mixed echogenic, solid mass inseparable from the pancreas, and the most common CT finding is a relatively well defined, lobulated, huge mass with multiloculated appearance by enhancing septae in or near the lesser sac.