Dual-phase helical CT of pancreatic adenocarcinoma: assessment of resectability before surgery.

OBJECTIVE. The aim of our study was to prospectively evaluate the accuracy of dual-phase helical CT in the preoperative assessment of resectabiliy in patients with suspected pancreatic cancer using surgical and histopathologic correlation.SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Between January 1999 and December 2000, 76 patients with suspected pancreatic cancer underwent preoperative evaluation and staging with dual-phase helical CT (3-mm collimation for pancreatic phase, 5-mm collimation for portal phase). Iodinated contrast material was injected IV (170 mL at a rate of 4 mL/sec); acquisition began at 40 sec during the pancreatic phase and at 70 sec during the portal phase. Three radiologists prospectively evaluated the imaging findings to determine the presence of pancreatic tumor and signs of unresectability (liver metastasis, vascular encasement, or regional lymph nodes metastasis). The degree of tumor—vessel contiguity was recorded for each patient (no contiguity with tumor, contiguity of <50%, or contiguity of ≥50%)....