Ultrasonography of the pancreas

Disorders of the pancreas occur frequently, but they are difficult to diagnose because of anatomic inaccessibility of the pancreas, vague clinical signs and examination findings, and inconsistent laboratory results. Ultrasonography is the imaging modality of choice to evaluate the pancreas. Ultrasonographic examination of the pancreas is difficult due to ultrasound wave propagation interference by adjacent bowel gas, abdominal pain accompanying pancreatitis, and inability to image the normal pancreas consistently. These three problems can be overcome by adhering to a systematic scanning method, proper transducer selection, and proper patient preparation. Scanning techniques used to image the pancreas, and ultrasonographic findings of canine and feline pancreatitis and canine pancreatic neoplasia, are explained.