Observational studyBMC gastroenterology2026
Diagnostic utility of endoscopic ultrasound features in pancreatic tumors: a retrospective observational study focusing on tumor size and imaging characteristics.
Observational study in BMC gastroenterology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEndoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a highly sensitive imaging modality for detecting pancreatic tumors, particularly small lesions. However, its ability to distinguish malignant from benign lesions remains a diagnostic challenge. This study aimed to evaluate the imaging characteristics observed via EUS in differentiating malignancy and to assess the influence of tumor size on diagnostic accuracy.
methodsThis retrospective study included 315 patients who underwent EUS evaluation for pancreatic tumors between January 2019 and July 2024. The final diagnosis was established based on surgical pathology, EUS-FNB results, or clinical follow-up ≥ 6 months. Key imaging features assessed included echogenicity, lesion margins, pancreatic duct dilatation, and distal pancreatic atrophy. Tumors were categorized by size (< 2 cm or > 2 cm), and statistical analyses were conducted to identify predictive factors of malignancy.
resultsOf the 315 tumors, 205 (65.1%) were malignant. Five EUS imaging features-hypoechoic pattern, heterogeneous echotexture, irregular margins, pancreatic duct dilatation, and distal pancreatic atrophy-were identified as predictive of malignancy. The ROC-derived cutoff of 3.5 corresponds clinically to ≥ 4 features. AUC was 0.807 (95% CI: 0.759-0.849). Using a ≥ 4-feature threshold, sensitivity was 87.8%, specificity 54.5%, PPV 78.6%, and NPV 69.4%. Subgroup multivariable analysis revealed that heterogeneous echotexture and pancreatic duct dilatation were significant predictors of malignancy in tumors < 2 cm. However, in tumors > 2 cm, no individual feature significantly distinguished malignancy.
conclusionAmong pancreatic tumors, those exhibiting four or more of the five EUS features should be prioritized for malignancy evaluation. In small tumors, heterogeneous echotexture and pancreatic duct dilatation offer valuable diagnostic insight. Conversely, larger tumors present greater diagnostic challenges due to overlapping features on B-mode imaging alone.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.