Pancreas is the organ within the abdomen located in the upper area with oblique position. The main pancreatic duct at its center. Pancreas is divided into 3 parts : head, body and tail. Anterior part of pancreatic head on the gastric antrum and duodenal bulb and also inferior vena cava in the posteriorly. Tail of pancreas is located anterior of left kidney with splenic hilum near its tip. Pancreatic tail in the posterior body of stomach and splenic flexura of large intestine.

Ultrasound is one of the best tool to detect pancreas problems with transverse and longitudinal scanning. If it’s difficult, Radiologist or Sonographer will change the patient in erect position. Sometimes, supine position will make panceras body overlapping with gastric angle. Meanwhile, standing position is better to visualized pancreas if patient drinks some water 300-500 ml. For weakness patient, sitting position is to be another alternative to get good images of ultrasound.

Some Pancreas Diseases which well-visualized by ultrasound:

1. Cancer

Ultrasound can visualize cancer as a solid hypoechoic mass with strong inflammatory changes in surrounding the mass. The texture of cancer is specific because of heterogenous and irregular patterns. Head of pancreas is to be the main target of cancer. The other side effects of pancreatic cancer is dilatation of intra and extrahepatic biliary tract with enlargement of the gall bladder.

2. Pancreatic Cystadenoma

This is known as benign tumor of pancreas. There are 2 kinds of cystedenoma, the first is mucinous cystadenoma with relatively large cystic structure and second one is serous cystadenoma with network pattern due to malignant degeneration and result of cystadenocarcinoma.

3. Acute Pancreatitis

Ultrasound is difficult to detect inflammatory process but it can enable to present the impact of pancreatitis like pancreas seems enlarged, internal echogenicity is relatively decreased, the changes of surrounding tissue compared with normal one.

4. Chronic Pancreatitis

Atrophy or localized enlargement is the specific form of chronic pancreatitis. Dilatation of main pancreatic duct is also the cause of chronic panreatitis. Doppler ultrasound is the better solution to visualize of Pancreatitis.

5. Pancreatolithiasis

It’s similar with detecting of pancreatic calcification. It’s admitted that finding calcification with ultrasound within the pancreas is more difficult comparing with finding gall bladder stones and Cholecystitis.

6. Pancreatic Pseudocyst

Cyst within pancreas is pseudocyst that lack of epithelial lining. Sometimes, it’s difficult to differentiate between cyst and calcification within the pancreas. I think CT-Scan is more accurate to determine these abnormalities.

I hope this article useful if you have problems with your pancreas and related with diagnostic tool of ultrasound. Pancreas is including the Abdominal ultrasound in practice on Hospital.

IMAGE BY BRAD MILLER

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