Abstract
An asymptomatic female in her 70s, who had neither any past history nor family history, was found to have a 26 × 15 mm hypoechoic mass in the pancreatic head accompanied with interruption of the main pancreatic duct (MPD) on abdominal ultrasonography (US) during a health check-up in our hospital. A blood examination revealed no abnormal findings, and the pancreatic enzyme and tumor marker levels were normal. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed a 15 mm low-density and poorly enhanced mass, accompanied by dilatation of the MPD in the pancreatic tail and atrophy of the pancreatic parenchyma. Endoscopic ultrasonography revealed a hypoechoic mass, which was diagnosed to be an adenocarcinoma using fine needle aspiration (FNA). Pancreatoduodenectomy was performed, and the resected specimen revealed a white solid nodule measuring 16 mm in maximum diameter in the pancreatic head. Histologically, it was invasive ductal carcinoma, and the final diagnosis was pT1, pN0, M0, Stage I A (UICC-TNM). No recurrence has been observed 10 months after the operation. Screening US was thus found to be useful for an early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
