The aim of this study was to differentiate pancreatic head cancer from non-pancreatic head cancer in periampullary cancer based on CT imaging features, and to comprehensively analyze the direct and indirect signs of CT imaging features in patients with periampullary cancer. In this retrospective study, we identified independent risk factors for differentiating pancreatic head cancer from non-pancreatic head cancer in periampullary cancer through multifactorial regression analysis. These imaging signs were the distance of the distance of the dilated bile duct, the distance of the dilated bile duct, enlargement of the papilla, and pancreatic duct and/or bile duct visible between the tumor and the papilla. Therefore, in cases where the specific type of periampullary cancer cannot be clinically determined, this study provides an imaging-based predictive model for the differential diagnosis of periampullary cancer. This model can better guide the selection of clinical treatment options.
In recent years, imaging has been applied to several research aspects of periampullary lesions, such as MRI differential diagnosis of benign and malignant periampullary obstructions [10], the diagnostic value of CT for signs of biliary obstruction [7, 11], and the diagnostic accuracy of CT for benign and malignant periampullary stenosis [12]. Additionally, studies have reported on the assessment of CT for benign and malignant differentiation of periampullary tumors, with an AUC of about 81% [13], indicating a high accuracy of CT in identifying benign and malignant tumors around the periampullary area. These studies highlight the role of different imaging methods in the diagnosis of periampullary lesions. In the routine clinical examination of patients with suspected periampullary tumors, the most commonly used examination modality is enhanced spiral CT [14], which offers advantages such as fast imaging speed, short post-processing time, the ability to perform various image reconstructions, and the ability to obtain numerous image features. Therefore, based on previous studies, we chose CT imaging features as the primary focus of this research. Starting from the specific direct and indirect signs, we subdivided the imaging features to collect a comprehensive set of imaging characteristics.
Chang S et al. [15] found that the presence of a measurable papillary mass in the arterial phase and homogeneous enhancement of the papilla/papillary mass suggested an ampullary tumor by thin-layer CT. Their findings showed that a papillary mass greater than 12.3 mm was the critical value for diagnosing ampullary tumors and benign papillary stricture, with a sensitivity of 91.7% and a specificity of 92.3%. Similarly, Chung YE et al. [16] confirmed that, excluding benign obstruction, unexplained papillary enlargement suggests that ampullary obstruction is malignant. Previous studies have mostly used papillary enlargement for diagnosing ampullary tumors or ampullary cancer in ampullary obstructions, also finding that expanded papillae with diameters greater than 10 mm are effective in detecting periampullary lesions [6]. In this study, we used the imaging feature of papillary enlargement to differentiate pancreatic head cancer from non-pancreatic head cancer among periampullary cancers. We found the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the sign of papillary enlargement to be 93% and 43%, respectively. The relatively low specificity may be due to the fact that papillary enlargement can be caused by ampullary tumors or other benign conditions such as papillary inflammation and/or papillary stenosis, which aligns with the findings of previous studies.
Kim JH et al. [1] showed that the distance from the lumen of the duodenum to the end of the dilated duct in pancreatic head carcinoma was 14–42 mm (mean 25 mm), whereas in ampullary cancer, it was 2–9 mm (mean 5 mm). In our study, the mean distance from the end of the dilated duct to the papilla in pancreatic head cancer was 25 mm, whereas in non-pancreatic head cancer, the mean distance was 11 mm, demonstrating a significant difference between the two. This difference may be because, in pancreatic head cancer, the infiltrated part of the pancreatic and bile ducts is often located in the distal non-bile duct, and a section of normal pancreaticobiliary duct remains between the papilla and the tumor. Consequently, four segments (two bile duct segments and two pancreatic duct segments) can be observed, a phenomenon termed the "four-segment sign," which is frequently seen in pancreatic head cancer but is rare in other periampullary cancers [1, 16]. Additionally, Kim JH et al. found that the distance from the duodenal papilla to the proximal end of the stenotic segment of the pancreatic duct was longer in pancreatic head cancer than in other periampullary cancers [1]. Our analysis determined cut-off values for the distances of the dilated pancreatic duct and bile duct from the papilla in pancreatic head and non-pancreatic head cancers, which were 20.5 mm and 27 mm, respectively. Our study further quantified these indices, providing high diagnostic specificity, thus offering a quantitative diagnostic basis for clinical practice. In pancreatic head cancer, the "four-segment sign" [1, 17] is often observed, indicating that distal pancreatic duct and bile duct involvement is rare. As a result, the pancreatic duct and/or bile duct are more frequently seen between the tumor and the papilla. In contrast, patients with non-pancreatic head cancer, such as those with distal cholangiocarcinoma, often exhibit distal bile duct involvement [1]. Consequently, the likelihood of finding the pancreatic duct and bile duct between the tumor and the papilla in non-pancreatic head cancer patients is lower than in pancreatic head cancer patients. In this study, within the development cohort, 44 patients with pancreatic head cancer (61.6%) showed the presence of pancreatic ducts and/or bile ducts between the tumor and the papilla. In contrast, only 11 patients with non-pancreatic head cancer (17.4%) exhibited this feature, demonstrating a statistically significant difference between the two groups.
There are several limitations to this study. First, it was a retrospective single-center study with a relatively small sample size, leading to potential selection bias. Second, this study was a unimodal imaging examination and did not include MRI image data for analysis. Third, although an internally validated nomogram was performed, further studies using external and prospective validation in larger cohorts are needed. Therefore, in subsequent studies, more patients with periampullary cancer will be included, and more imaging data for differential diagnosis of Periampullary cancer will be obtained from a multimodal perspective by combining the patients’ MRI imaging data and prognosis.