Diagnostics (Nov 2022)

Contrast-Enhanced Harmonic Endoscopic Ultrasound for Diagnosis of the Aggressiveness of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasm

  • Takashi Tamura,
  • Yuto Sugihara,
  • Hirofumi Yamazaki,
  • Hiromu Koutani,
  • Takaaki Tamura,
  • Ikuhisa Tsuda,
  • Tomoya Emori,
  • Yuki Kawaji,
  • Keiichi Hatamaru,
  • Yasunobu Yamashita,
  • Masahiro Itonaga,
  • Reiko Ashida,
  • Masayuki Kitano

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12122988
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 12
p. 2988

Abstract

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The purpose of this study is to clarify the associations between the enhancement patterns on contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasound (CH-EUS) and the aggressiveness and prognosis of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PanNENs). Patients who underwent CH-EUS and were pathologically diagnosed with PanNEN were included in this study. Patients were divided into three groups according to contrast-enhancement patterns on early-phase and late-phase imaging: “Group A”, vascular rich in both phases; “Group B”, vascular rich and vascular poor in early and late phases, respectively; “Group C”, vascular poor in both phases. Of 39 patients, 25 were assigned to Group A, 7 to Group B, and 7 to Group C. The median overall survival was not reached in Groups A and B and was 335 days in Group C (p < 0.001). The 1-year survival rates were 100% in Group A, 60% in Group B, and 43% in Group C. Patients in Group C showed the shortest overall survival among the three groups. The vascular-poor pattern on late-phase CH-EUS had the highest sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for aggressive PanNENs among the patterns analyzed on CH-EUS and CECT (84.6%, 91.7%, and 89.2%, respectively). CH-EUS is useful for the diagnosis of and predicting the prognosis of PanNENs.

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