CT findings of the commonly overlooked groove pancreatitis

Purpose

The aim of this study was to highlight the different computed tomography (CT) features of groove pancreatitis (GP) in order to make this entity more familiar to radiologist.

Patients & method

This study enrolled 15 patients who had histopathologically confirmed GP. Their CT scans were retrospectively reviewed for the encountered manifestations.

Results

Pure & segmental forms were identified retrospectively in 6 & 9 patients. The most frequent findings noted in patients' scans were the following, in descending order: medial duodenal wall thickening & cysts, duodenal luminal narrowing, regional lymphadenopathies, pancreatic involvement, isolated groove affection, pancreatic calcifications, distal CBD narrowing, pancreatic duct abnormalities, and retro-peritoneal stranding.

Conclusion

Although the CT features of GP mimic other peripancreatic tumors, yet the constantly associated findings in the proven cases of GP in our study were: duodenal wall thickening, cysts formation, and luminal narrowing. So the presence of these features in alcoholic middle aged male patient with groove or pancreatic lesion, have to trigger radiologist's dubiety of GP entity and so to be addressed in his opinion. Nevertheless, GP diagnosis is still challenging & should be considered based on clinical & radiological data in conjunction with the laboratory and pathological results.