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Imaging of chronic pancreatitis. Chronic pancreatitis is a combination of imaging pattern: duct abnormalities, with irregularity, enlargement alternating with stenosis, of main pancreatic duct (beading) and enlargement of branch duct (more than 3 thin branch ducts visible); intra ductal or parenchymal calcifications; parenchymal atrophy, global or focal. When CT is typical, no more imaging is needed. On the contrary, MRI with MRCP (2 D one) is necessary to explore doubtful chronic pancreatitis, particularly to find out discrete ductal irregularities. Then pancreas ductal carcinoma could be depicted, particularly with long lasting chronic pancreatitis, and new onset or relapse of pain. The main differential diagnosis with imaging is intra ductal pancreatic mucinous neoplasia (IPMN)., Competing Interests: M.-P. Vullierme déclare des liens ponctuels (conférences, action de formation, prise en charge lors de congrès) avec Guerbet France.

Introduction: Scwhannomas are uncommon neurogenic tumors of the mediastinum. Most of them are located in the posterior mediastinum usually in the paralateral gutters. We report the case of an uncommon localisation of such a tumour appended to the right vagus nerve in the middle mediastinum., Case Report: The patient was 50 years old and complained of thoracic pain, shortness of breath and dysphagia. CT scanning of thorax and abdomen revealed a heterogeneous mass in the middle mediastinum, which was not visible on plain radiography. Further investigation included transoesophageal ultrasound and PET scan. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology after mini video-assisted thoracotomy. The schwannoma was entirely removed without any post-surgical complications., Conclusion: We report a novel case of schwannoma arising from the vagus nerve and review the diagnostic strategies. PET scanning has poor sensitivity and specificity and does not therefore contribute to confirm the diagnosis which depends on exploring the mediastimun surgically., (Copyright © 2011 SPLF. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The association of pancreatitis and hyperparathyroidism is rare., Case Record: A 41-year-old man had consulted for a strong abdominal pain reliant to a chronic calcifying pancreatitis. A major hypercalcaemia led to a primary hyperparathyroidism diagnosis. The evolution was favourable after parathyroid adenoma surgery., Discussion: The hypercalcaemia activate the transformation of trypsinogen into trypsin which is toxic for the pancreas. The role of parathyroid hormone remains unclear.

The purpose of this article is to provide an update on imaging techniques for diagnosis and staging of clinical conditions leading to obstructive jaundice. Clinical and imaging findings of the most frequent diseases presenting as obstructive jaundice will be reviewed in order to optimize imaging strategies. Imaging and treatment strategies will be discussed in order to provide an optimal diagnosis and staging with the least invasive techniques in order to minimize complications in these patients.