CT Angiography of Pancreatic Lesions

The pancreas lies anteriorly between the first and second lumbar vertebrae and lacks a serous barrier to the surrounding large blood vessels, such as portal vein, superior mesenteric artery (SMA), superior mesenteric vein (SMV), and inferior vena cava (IVC), and the duodenum. Pancreatic cancer is extremely aggressive, which can invade peripancreatic blood vessels and nerves at an early stage. Surgical resection is directly related to the management and prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer. Therefore, early diagnosis and accurate resectability evaluation before surgery are essential. At present, multislice spiral CT based contrast-enhanced CT scanning, especially triphase CT scanning, is the main noninvasive imaging method for diagnosing pancreatic diseases. This technique can clearly show the location, shape, density, contour, and blood supply of pancreatic diseases. The relationship between the tumor, perivascular features, and organs can be demonstrated by a combination of multiple image reformation methods, which can provide important clues for the staging and surgical resection of pancreatic cancer.