Table 1 Pancreatic fibrosis imaging—Pros/Cons with respects to the gold standard
Pancreatic fibrosis imaging | ||
|---|---|---|
US | PROs | Readily available, low cost, lack of ionizing radiation |
CONs | Limited by pancreases location and patient habitus, operator dependent | |
EUS | PROs | High spatial resolution, early-stage diagnostic, high sensitivity/specificity/accuracy |
CONs | High inter-observer variability, high false positive rate, invasive, high rate of complications | |
USE-SE/SWEb | PROs | Quantitative, high sensitivity/specificity |
CONs | Operator dependent, low reliability in certain patient subgroups | |
CE-CTa | PROs | Readily available, high spatial resolution, fast, high sensitivity/specificity/accuracy |
CONs | Late diagnosis, use of contrast agents, use of ionizing radiation | |
MRI | PROs | Early diagnosis, high soft tissue contrast, high sensitivity/specificity, no ionizing radiation |
CONs | High cost, use of contrast agents, time consuming | |
MRCP/S-MRCPb | PROs | High sensitivity/specificity/accuracy, no ionizing radiation |
CONs | Does not allow for proper visualization of calcification/side branches/parenchyma, Invasive | |
ERCP | PROs | High sensitivity/specificity/accuracy, early diagnosis |
CONs | Invasive, high rate of complications, does not allow for proper visualization of parenchyma | |