Clinical and CT features of pancreatic metastasis

Objective To analyze the clinical and CT characteristics of pancreatic metastasis to improve the correct diagnosis rate.Methods The clinical and CT data of 14 patients with pancreatic metastasis were reviewed retrospectively.Results Among the 14 patients,the primary malignancy was lung cancer in 6 cases,renal carcinoma in 3 cases,colon carcinoma in 2 cases,laryngeal cancer in 1 case,gastric cancer in 1 case and ovarian carcinoma in 1 case.Pancreatic metastases from renal carcinomas often developed a long period after initial nephrectomy and survived for a relatively long time.Abdominal CT plain scan and enhanced scan was performed in all cases.Four cases were of solitary type,9 cases were of multiple types and 1 was of diffuse type.Totally 28 lesions were found,which were usually located in the neck and body of the pancreas,the diameter of 28 pancreatic lesions was ranging from 0.5 cm to 11 cm,with a mean diameter of 2.3 cm.On CT plain scan,there were 19 hypodense lesions,7 slightly hyperdense lesions and 2 isodense lesions,5 necrotic lesions.On enhanced CT,the lesions showed moderate enhancement in 7 cases,circular enhancement in 6 cases,moderate and circular enhancement in 6 lesions,obvious enhancement in 8 lesions and no enhancement in 1 lesion.All patients had extra-pancreatic metastases,and 2 cases had peripheral vascular invasion.Conclusions Pancreatic metastases are rare,often accompanied with multiple lesions and extra-pancreatic metastases.The CT features of pancreatic metastases from renal carcinomas are slightly hyperdense and obvious enhancement; in other metastases,there are hypodense,morderate and/or circular enhancement lesions.Accurate diagnosis can be achieved by knowledge of patients' medical history. Key words: Pancreatic neoplasms ;  Neoplasm metastasis ;  Tomography, X-ray computed ; Retrospective studies