To investigate the diagnostic value of ultrasonography in the assessment of peri-pancreatic vascular invasion and resectability of pancreatic cancer.

Clinical data of 33 patients with pancreatic cancer admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2012 to September 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The informed consents of all patients were obtained and the local ethical committee approval was received. Among them, 21 patients were male and 12 were female, aged 46-75 years with a median age of 54 years. Peri-pancreatic vascular invasion was evaluated by preoperative ultrasonography and the resectability of tumors was assessed. The ultrasonography findings were compared with the intraoperative exploration and surgical outcomes. And its sensitivity and specificity were calculated.

The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive rates of ultrasonography in evaluating the peri-pancreatic vascular invasion were 88% (30/34), 99% (261/263), 94% (30/32) and 98% (261/265), respectively. For 19 patients with vascular invasion but without distant metastasis or lymph node metastasis, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive rates of ultrasonography in assessing the unresectability were 5/6, 12/13, 5/6 and 12/13, respectively.

Ultrasonography can accurately and reliably evaluate the peri-pancreatic vascular invasion and give reference for assessing the resectability of pancreatic cancer.