Groove pancreatitis (GP) is an uncommon form of chronic pancreatitis (CP) involving the space between duodenum, pancreatic head and common bile duct (CBD) known as pancreatic-duodenal groove.Although an association with long-standing ethanol assumption is reported a definite etiology of GP is unknown. Since thickening of the duodenal wall, pancreatic head enlargement, CBD stricture and dilatation of pancreatic duct system are common findings the differential diagnosis with pancreatic head neoplasm by means of imaging can be challenging. However, some imaging findings such as fibrotic changes of the pancreatic groove and presence of duodenal wall cysts may suggest the correct diagnosis. In this paper we review clinical and imaging features of GP with emphasis on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings.

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A 43-year-old multiparous woman with a history of pelvic endometriosis and myocardial infarction presented with acute onset of right hemithorax pain and dyspnoea coinciding with dysmenorrhoeic menstruation. A chest CT confirmed the presence of a right hydropneumothorax which was drained. A video-assisted thoracoscopy was unremarkable but at a subsequent menses, an MRI chest demonstrated a lesion in the right costophrenic angle. The patient underwent a hysterectomy and oophorectomy for treatment of endometriosis. Six months later, she was free of thoracic symptoms and a repeat MRI scan showed resolution of the right pleural abnormality.

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Given the higher sensitivity of MRI and the recent advances in faster imaging techniques the purpose of the study was to obtain MRI findings in 70 patients who had suffered from a head injury with transient consciousness loss or prolonged coma at least 24 months before entering the study.Multiplanar MRI offers invaluable advantages in the identification of the precise location of the sequelae of cranial traumas. In case of hemorrhagic lesions, the information capacity of CT progressively diminishes in relation to the absorption of the edema and bleeding, whereas MRI increases its sensitivity due to the paramagnetic properties of hemoglobin by-products. MRI allows the identification of a larger amount of small lesions, particularly those located at critical sites, as corpus callosum, temporal and fronta l tips cortical surface. Using Fluid Attenuated Inversion R ecovery (FLAIR) pulse sequences, a better delineation of cortical and subcortical lesions is permitted, with remarkable improvement of sensitivity when compared with conventional Spin-Echo images. Finally, adopting MRI has important implications from a medico-legal standpoint.