Chronic pancreatitis

41 Chronic pancreatitis

Fig. 41.1A There are punctate calcifications throughout the pancreas, due to chronic pancreatitis.

Background

Chronic pancreatitis is not an emergency per se, but the finding of pancreatic calcifications on a plain film may help you make this diagnosis in a patient presenting with severe abdominal pain.

It is most commonly caused by alcohol, although gallstones are amongst the several other causes of this condition. It results in an atrophic gland with calcifications. Diagnosis is often delayed so suspecting it clinically and spotting it on the radiographs may make a difference to management of your patient. Approximately 4% of these patients go on to develop pancreatic cancer after 20 years.

Only gold members can continue reading. Log In or Register to continue

Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel

Tags: On-Call X-Rays Made Easy

Aug 20, 2016 | Posted by admin in ULTRASONOGRAPHY | Comments Off

Full access? Get Clinical Tree

Get Clinical Tree app for offline access

Get Clinical Tree app for offline access