Adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas: determination of surgical unresectability with thin-section pancreatic-phase helical CT.

Abstract

In patients with adenocarcinoma in the head of the pancreas, the degree of circumferential vessel involvement by tumor as shown by CT is useful in predicting which patients will have surgically unresectable tumors. A dilated gastrocolic trunk should not be used as an independent sign of surgical unresectability.