胃腸および消化器系

抽象的な

Endosonographic Diagnosis of Chronic Pancreatitis

Akane Yamabe, Athushi Irisawa, Goro Shibukawa, Yoko Abe, Akiko Nikaido, Ko Inbe and Koki Hoshi

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is characterized by irreversible damage that engenders fibrosis and necrosis of pancreatic tissue, with the consequent loss of endocrine and exocrine function of the pancreas. The clinical course of CP engenders a high rate of morbidity and mortality over a 20-25-year period. In view of this fact, current efforts emphasize the establishment of early diagnosis to commence intervention that can positively affect the natural course of the disease. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is a well-established and less-invasive modality for CP diagnosis. The higher imaging resolution provided by EUS enables detection of subtle pancreatic abnormalities, not only parenchymal but also ductal changes, that are undetectable using other modalities. This review presents an overview of the endosonographic diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis.