Abstract

SOSA VALENCIA, Leonardo et al. Nuevos patrones sonográficos de interpretación de pancreatitis crónica por ecoendoscopia pancreática. Gen [online]. 2007, vol.61, n.3, pp.179-184. ISSN 0016-3503.

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is defined as pancreatic irreversible damage with exocrine and endocrine tissue destruction. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has emerged as the ideal technique to evaluate pancreatic structure, since it offers high resolution images from both ductal and parenchymal systems with a significant lower rate of complications. Objective: To classify patients with sonographic criteria into diagnostic patterns of CP. Results: We randomly studied 109 patients between 16 and 86 years old, 77% male and 23% female. More than 84% of the patients showed non tumoral patterns of chronicpancreatitis. Mild (26%), moderate (32%); areolar patterns were the most frequently observed (63%).21% showed a calcified pattern. Moderate pancreatitis was the most frequent grade of severity found (49%). 15% showed a tumoral pattern. The more frequent indications for this study were: Pancreatic tumors (17%) and suspicion of chronic pancreatitis (16%). We found CP in 37% of the patients referred because of acute pancreatitis, recurrent pancreatitis and asymptomatic elevated. serum amylase. Major severity was found in calcified CP. Conclusions: 86% of the patients with echoendoscopic diagnosis of CP had non-tumoral patterns and only 15% tumoral, where we could demonstrate a tumor-like lesion obstructing the Wirsung conduct, with ascending retrograde pancreatitis features. Mild and moderate areolar types were the most frequent non tumoral patterns (68%). These patients were not known of having previous diagnosis of pancreatic disease. 21% showed ductal calcifications. This unique criteria has an enormous diagnostic importance for CP. This classification using CP patterns allows separating in different categories and grades this entity and could achieve a consensus between different ultrasonographers.

Keywords : Sonographic patterns in chronic pancreatitis; Pancreatic endoscopic ultrasonography.