RESUMEN
Objective:To investigate the relationship between the perineural invasion score based on multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and extrapancreatic perineural invasion (EPNI) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).Methods:The clinical, radiological, and pathological data of 374 patients pathologically diagnosed as pancreatic cancer who underwent radical resection in the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University from March 2018 to May 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into EPNI negative group ( n=111) and EPNI positive group (n=263) based on the pathological presence of EPNI. The perineural invasion score was performed for each patient based on radiological images. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between the perineural invasion score based on MDCT and EPNI in PDAC. Results:There were significant statistical differences between EPNI negative group and positive group on both pathological characteristics (T stage, N stage, invasion of common bile duct, and positive surgical margin) and radiological characteristics (tumor size, vascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, perineural invasion score based on MDCT, pancreatic border, parenchymal atrophy, invasion of duodenum, invasion of spleen and splenic vein and invasion of common bile duct) (all P value <0.05). Univariate analysis revealed that the tumor size, vascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, perineural invasion score based on MDCT, pancreatic border, pancreatic atrophy, invasion of duodenum, invasion of spleen and splenic vein and invasion of common bile duct were independently associated with EPNI. Multivariate analyses revealed that the perineural invasion based on MDCT was an independent risk factor for EPNI in pancreatic cancer (score=1, OR=2.93, 95% CI 1.61-5.32, P<0.001; score=2, OR=5.92, 95% CI 2.68-13.10, P<0.001). Conclusions:The perineural invasion score based on MDCT was an independent risk factor for EPNI in pancreatic cancer and can be used as an evaluation indicator for preoperative prediction of EPNI in PDAC.