Computed tomography features of acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas.

PURPOSE: To report the computed tomography (CT) features of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) and identify CT features that may help discriminate between pancreatic ACC and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The CT examinations of 20 patients (13 men, 7 women; mean age, 66.5±10.7 [SD] years; range: 51-88 years) with 20 histopathologically proven pancreatic ACC were reviewed. CT images were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively and compared to those obtained in 20 patients with PDA. Comparisons were performed using univariate analysis with a conditional logistic regression model. RESULTS: Pancreatic ACC presented as an enhancing (20/20; 100%), oval (15/20; 75%), well-delineated (14/20; 70%) and purely solid (13/20; 65%) pancreatic mass with a mean diameter of 52.6±28.0 (SD) mm (range: 24-120mm) in association with visible lymph nodes (14/20; 70%). At univariate analysis, well-defined margins (Odds ratio [OR], 7.00; P=0.005), nondilated bile ducts (OR, 9.00; P=0.007), visible lymph nodes (OR, 4.33; P=0.028) and adjacent organ involvement (OR, 5.67; P=0.02) were the most discriminating CT features to differentiate pancreatic ACC from PDA. When present, lymph nodes were larger in patients with pancreatic ACC (14±4.8 [SD]; range: 7-25mm) than in those with PDA (8.8±4.1 [SD]; range: 5-15mm) (P=0.039). CONCLUSION: On CT, pancreatic ACC presents as an enhancing, predominantly oval and purely solid pancreatic mass that most frequently present with no bile duct dilatation, no visible lymph nodes, no adjacent organ involvement and larger visible lymph nodes compared to PDA.

MR imaging features of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to report the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) of the pancreas including diffusion-weighted MRI findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The MRI examinations of five patients (3 men, 2 women; median age, 61years) with histopathologically proven ACC of the pancreas were retrospectively reviewed. MR images were analyzed qualitatively (location, shape, homogeneity, signal intensity, vascular involvement and extrapancreatic extent of ACC) and quantitatively (tumor size, apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC] and normalized ADC of ACC). RESULTS: All ACC were visible on MRI, presenting as an oval pancreatic mass (5/5; 100%), with moderate and heterogeneous enhancement (5/5; 100%), with a median transverse diameter of 43mm (Q1, 35; Q3, 82mm; range: 30-91mm). Tumor capsule was visible in 4/5 ACC (80%) and Wirsung duct enlargement in 2/5 ACC (40%). On diffusion-weighted MRI, all ACC (5/5; 100%) were hyperintense on the 3 b value images. Median ADC value of ACC was 1.061×10-3mm2/s (Q1, 0.870×10-3mm2/s; Q3, 1.138×10-3mm2/s; range: 0.834-1.195×10-3mm2/s). Median normalized ADC ratio of ACC was 1.127 (Q1, 1.071; Q3, 1.237; range: 1.054-1.244). CONCLUSIONS: On MRI, ACC of the pancreas presents as a large, oval pancreatic mass with moderate and heterogeneous enhancement after intravenous administration of a gadolinium chelate, with restricted diffusion and a median ADC value of 1.061×10-3mm2/s on diffusion-weighted MRI. Further studies however are needed to confirm our findings obtained in a limited number of patients.

Solid-phase extraction applied to the determination of ochratoxin A in wines by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the analysis of Ochratoxin A at low microg l(-1) levels in samples of artificially contaminated wines. The method involves solid-phase extraction of samples using octadecylsilane cartridges and an additional preconcentration step prior to chromatography with isocratic elution and fluorimetric detection. The method was evaluated for accuracy and precision with relative standard deviations lower than 10%. Recoveries of ochratoxin A added to commercial wines over the range 0.1-3.0 microg l(-1) were higher than 80% in the assays. The performance of the octadecylsilane cartridge method tested compared very favourably with results of other published studies of ochratoxin A which use immunoaffinity columns or solvent extraction techniques.