Endoscopic ultrasonography in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic disease. A preliminary report.

Endoscopic ultrasonography was performed in 14 patients with suspected pancreatic disease. Cancer of the pancreas was recognized in 60% of the cases, while chronic pancreatitis was recognized 100% of the time. Technical difficulties limited the success of the examination in 28.5% of cases. The presence or absence of pancreatic disease can be determined in most cases by endoscopic ultrasonography, although we have not as yet discovered any specific finding(s) that reliably differentiate pancreatic cancer from chronic pancreatis.