The diagnosis of the small resectable pancreatic carcinoma.

ERCP and angiography are essential for the accurate diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma. ERCP is of value in detecting a pancreatic tumour and is the only examination which makes it possible to detect a small pancreatic carcinoma. Angiography is indispensable for the evaluation of the extent and size of the carcinoma, for prediction of resectability, and for differentiation between pancreatitis and carcinoma. Thirty-one out of 32 pancreatic carcinomas (96%) were correctly diagnosed pre-operatively by the use of a combination of the two examinations. Ten of them (31%) were resectable, and of these six measured less than 2 cm in diameter.