Endoscopic Ultrasound Diagnosis of Chronic Pancreatitis

Noncalcific CP was identified by a combination of EUS criteria in patients who underwent subsequent pancreatic surgery.

Although endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has been promoted as an acceptable technique to diagnose chronic pancreatitis (CP), its value in detecting noncalcific chronic pancreatitis (NCCP) is unproven. Researchers from Alabama prospectively determined the sensitivity and specificity of nine standard EUS criteria (ductal and parenchymal abnormalities in the body and tail) for NCCP by comparing results from presurgery EUS with histology results from resected specimens from 42 patients without calcific CP.

All areas of the pancreas were examined for CP by EUS; however, when a pancreatic lesion (such as a cyst or a mass) was present, only pancreatic parenchyma away from the lesion was assessed for CP to avoid confounding. All patients underwent surge…

Reviewing Author

Stuart Sherman, MD