[Does every patient with pancreatic disease need ultrasound examination?]

The following paper discusses the indications for ultrasound examinations in pancreatic diseases. Transcutaneous, intraoperative, endoscopic, laparoscopic and interventional ultrasound techniques are reviewed in the context of acute and chronic pancreatitis, as well as pancreatic cancer and endocrine tumors of the pancreas. In acute pancreatitis the results of sonography are inferior to CT-scanning, which is still the examination of choice in cases with a necrotising course. In chronic pancreatitis ultrasound can be helpful in localising and draining pseudocysts. Intraoperatively the bile duct and pancreatic duct can be localised easily. In pancreatic cancer laparoscopic sonography as part of diagnostic laparoscopy reduces the number of negative laparotomies for irresectable cancer. Intraoperative ultrasound is mandatory during operations for endocrine tumors of the pancreas.