Progress in the application of dual-energy CT in pancreatic diseases

Pancreatic diseases are difficult to diagnose due to their insidious onset and complex pathophysiological developmental characteristics. In recent years, dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) imaging technology has rapidly advanced. DECT can quantitatively extract and analyze medical imaging features and establish a correlation between these features and clinical results. This feature enables the adoption of more modern and accurate clinical diagnosis and treatment strategies for patients with pancreatic diseases so as to achieve the goal of non-invasive, low-cost, and personalized treatment. The purpose of this review is to elaborate on the application of DECT for the diagnosis, biological characterization, and prediction of the survival of patients with pancreatic diseases (including pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, pancreatic cystic tumor, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, and pancreatic injury) and to summarize its current limitations and future research prospects.