[Endosonography for differential diagnosis of malignant findings of the pancreas].

Due to recent technical innovations endosonography has attained a special importance for the examination of malignant pancreatic tumors. Modern high-resolution radial instruments with 360 degrees imaging give a very good overall view with fine resolution and contrast and allow excellent detection of solid space-occupying lesions in the region of the pancreas. In meta-analyses a very good sensitivity for tumor detection of over 90% could be demonstrated, comparable to the results of the modern CT pancreas spiral technique. Endosonography has an advantage over CT examination especially for the diagnostics of very small neuroendocrine tumors (<1 cm), for example for the detection of insulinomas. For cystic pancreas processes only endosonography allows further specific differential diagnostics by the determination of important prognostic tumor markers, such as CEA or CA-19-9 by simultaneous puncture of the lesion.