Pancreatic mass due to chronic pancreatitis: Correlation of CT and MR imaging features with pathologic findings

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to identify helical CT and MR imag ing features of pancreatic masses (focal enlargement) due to chronic pancre atitis and their correlation with pathologic findings. CONCLUSION. When histologic fibrosis is uniformly present through the pancr eas in patients with chronic pancreatitis, there is no demarcation of masse s due to chronic pancreatitis. When there is a greater degree of histologic fibrosis in the masslike part of the pancreas. the mass is often demarcate d from the remaining pancreas, and the enhancement pattern on two-phase hel ical CT and dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging mimics that of pancreati c adenocarcinoma.