Ultrasound of Acute Pancreatitis

Sonography is important in imaging patients with clinically suspected acute pancreatitis. All patients who present with acute pancreatitis for the first time should have sonography to evaluate the biliary tree for gallstones as a cause of pancreatitis. Sonography can also determine if bile duct dilatation, suggestive of obstruction, is present. However, the most sensitive prognostic indicator in patients with acute pancreatitis is quantification of pancreatic gland necrosis, which currently cannot be accurately assessed with ultrasound.