Spiral CT during pharmacoangiography with angiotensin II in patients with pancreatic disease. Technique and diagnostic efficacy.

PURPOSE

To compare the diagnostic efficacy of pancreatic pharmacoangiographic CT using angiotensin II with conventional angiographic CT.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Eighteen patients with space-occupying pancreatic disease were examined in this study. Pharmacoangiographic CT was performed with a 1-3 micrograms/6-ml solution of angiotensin II injected through a catheter into the celiac artery during spiral CT.

RESULTS

In 17 of the 18 (94%) patients, the area of pancreatic parenchymal enhancement was the same or larger at pharmacoangiographic CT than at conventional angiographic CT. The attenuation value of the pancreatic parenchyma was significantly increased at pharmacoangiographic CT (p = 0.0010). Although the attenuation value of tumors was also increased on images obtained after the injection of angiotensin II, the tumor-to-pancreas contrast was significantly greater at pharmacoangiographic CT (p = 0.0479). The mean differences in attenuation between tumor and pancreas at angiographic CT with and without angiotensin II were respectively 182 HU and 115 HU.

CONCLUSION

Pharmacoangiographic CT with angiotensin II proved superior to conventional angiographic CT in the diagnosis of pancreatic disease. We therefore recommend it as a supplementary technique at the angiographic examination of patients with suspected pancreatic tumor.