Elastography in the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Elastography in the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis
IRAS ID
210710
Contact name
Andrew Hopper
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS FT
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Chronic pancreatitis is a progressive inflammatory condition where progressive scarring and damage results in decreased production of hormones and enzymes needed to digest and absorb food normally. Often the changes seen in the tissue of the pancreas in chronic pancreatitis are difficult to see on conventional radiology tests (such as CT scans or MRIs). This means it can be difficult to detect changes early on in the disease.
By detecting chronic pancreatitis early, treatment can be initiated that can prevent complications such as increased pain and malnutrition. Treatment may also improve the quality of life for patients. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has recently become a favoured method for diagnosing early changes of chronic pancreatitis in clinical practice; however this technique is subjective with sub-optimal intra-observer agreement. This means that two endoscopists may report the same scan in different ways as the changes can be subtle. A new technique called elastography, performed during EUS, measures tissue stiffness using a numeric scale which may give more reliable results. This study aims to assess whether EUS elastography can accurately identify patients with chronic pancreatitis.
Patients referred for EUS examinations will be identified and recruited prospectively. We will perform endoscopic ultrasound examinations with elastography readings in two groups of patients: those referred for EUS with suspicion of chronic pancreatitis and those referred for EUS for assessment of abdominal pain without risk factors or any other tests suggesting chronic pancreatitis. The elastography readings will then be compared to the current best tests (gold standard) which includes EUS examination to assess the structure of the pancreas (Rosemont classification will be used), and other tests already performed including cross-sectional imaging (MRCP and CT), patient history and a stool test called faecal pancreatic elastase (FEL-1).
Patients will be identified and data collected prospectively. There is no randomization or blinding involved in the study as the endoscopists will need to be aware of the indication for referral in order to carry out a complete examination
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/YH/0315
Date of REC Opinion
14 Sep 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion