Pancreas size and volume on computed tomography in normal adults

The objective of the study was to evaluate quantitatively normal pancreatic morphology, size, and volume stratified by age and sex.

Adults without known pancreatic disease underwent computed tomography (n = 249) were evaluated by linear pancreatic dimensions, volume determinations (summation of areas), and histograms. A subset was reread to evaluate interreader reliability. Ordinary least squares regression was used to model the average of each measurement as a function of sex and age.

Although increasing age was associated with a moderate decrease in pancreatic volume and in the size of the body and tail, the anteroposterior diameter of the head increased with age up to 71 years. Measurements of the head and total volume were smaller among women, but the body and tail showed no sex difference. Across all measurements, differences due to sex and age were smaller in magnitude than the random variation between subjects. Despite adhering to a detailed protocol, we observed both systematic and random differences between readers in performing the measurements.

Although size and volume of the normal pancreas in adults measured with multislice computed tomography are smaller among women and those who are older, the anteroposterior diameter of the head increases slightly throughout the majority of the age range.