Pancreatic ultrasound
Pancreatic ultrasound
Pancreatic ultrasound is an examination that uses ultrasound equipment to evaluate the pancreas and its adjacent organ structures, with corresponding interventions taken if necessary. Based on the examination method and equipment, pancreatic ultrasound can be broadly divided into the following types: Transabdominal Ultrasound: This is the most commonly used method due to its non-invasiveness and cost-effectiveness. In most cases, the information obtained from transabdominal ultrasound is sufficient for diagnosing diseases. However, for patients who are morbidly obese, have thick abdominal walls, or are uncooperative, the examination results may be compromised. Therefore, further examinations such as CT or MRI may be required. Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS): This examination is suitable for patients where non-invasive imaging examinations such as transabdominal ultrasound, CT, or MRI cannot provide sufficient and effective information, where the diagnosis is uncertain, or where there is a simultaneous need for treatment or intervention. In EUS, the ultrasound signal penetrates the gastrointestinal wall to reach the pancreatic tissue directly, unlike transabdominal ultrasound which needs to pass through multiple layers such such as the abdominal wall, omentum, and gastrointestinal wall. This results in less interference, more comprehensive and accurate signal acquisition, and higher diagnostic value. Intraoperative Ultrasound: This examination has a narrower scope of application than the previous two and is generally used during surgical procedures for precise localization of lesions, guiding biopsies, designing ablation or surgical resection plans, assessing safety, and evaluating treatment efficacy. In addition to the above conventional examinations, for highly vascularized lesions, enhanced ultrasound examinations, also known as contrast-enhanced ultrasound, can be performed with the aid of special drugs (e.g., SonoVue). Due to disease characteristics and economic factors, the effectiveness of this examination method varies and it is not routinely recommended.
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