Early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer using ultrasound and fine needle aspiration cytology.

Ultrasonography was performed on 37 patients with proven cancer of the pancreas. Three patients had lesions too small to be detectable, but, in the remainder, abnormalities were found in 30 (88%). Subsequently, percutaneous fine needle aspiration cytology was obtained in 12 patients with suspected pancreatic cancer, in whom ultrasound confirmed the presence of a mass. There were two false negative results and no false positive diagnosis. For seven patients laparotomy was avoided. Ultrasonography should be the first investigation in patients with suspected cancer of the pancreas, and, if a mass is detected, it should be aspirated percutaneously using a fine needle.