Special Issue on Pancreatic Imaging

Raju Sharma

Rajesh Arumugam

It is indeed a pleasure to have jointly edited this special issue of JGAR on pancreatic imaging. Pancreatic diseases, both inflammatory and neoplastic, are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. There is a wide spectrum of inflammatory disorders, ranging from acute to chronic pancreatitis and including the more recently recognized autoimmune pancreatitis. Neoplastic pathology ranges from the ominous pancreatic cancer to cystic and neuroendocrine tumors. Cross-sectional imaging has become a critical tool in the workup of patients afflicted with pancreatic diseases. Rapid advances in imaging techniques have not only improved the diagnostic accuracy but have also enhanced our understanding of pathophysiology. CT plays a vital role in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, characterizes the related fluid collections and vascular complications like pseudoaneurysms, and has a major bearing on the treatment algorithms. The interventional radiologist today is at the forefront of treating these dreaded complications. Although imaging has improved the diagnosis and staging of pancreatic cancer, it has not made a significant dent in the overall outcome of this very aggressive tumor. Some problems continue to be elusive, including detecting carcinoma in the background of chronic pancreatitis and differentiating malignancy from mass-forming chronic pancreatitis.

This issue highlights the recent advances in the field of pancreatic MRI and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). All the important disease entities have been dealt with by international and national experts in this field. The authors have distilled vital points from the literature and embellished it with their own invaluable experience to provide a comprehensive overview to the reader. In addition to the common disease entities, there are articles devoted to the postoperative pancreas, pancreatic trauma, and rare tumors involving the pancreas. The role of interventional radiology in pancreatitis has also been highlighted.

Publication History

Article published online:
29 April 2020