Usefulness of selective endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (Selective ERP) and Endoscopic Pancreatic Biopsy (EPB) in the diagnosis of mucin-producing tumor of the pancreas

Abstract

Selective ERP and EPB were employed in the diagnosis of mucin-producing tumor (MPT) of the pancreas and their usefulness was evaluated. Thirty five cases of MPTs were subdivided into three subtypes, i.e., 1) main duct type, 2) branch duct type and 3) peripheral type (mucinous cystadenoma/cystadenocarcinoma). Selective ERP was proved to be useful in demonstrating precise and whole pancreatograms, especially in revealing multiple lesions, when compared with standard ERP. Selective ERP could demonstrate communication between cystic tumors of the peripheral type and the pancreatic duct in seven (88%) of eight cases of the peripheral type, which suggests high frequency of the communication in the peripheral type. For preoperative tissue diagnosis, EPB was shown to be a useful method to yield sufficient tissue materials for histopathological evaluation and may be used as an adjunction method to diganose the intraductal extent of the tumorous lesion.