Amplitude Analysis of Pancreatic B-Scans: A Clinical Evaluation of Cystic Fibrosis

Ultrasonic B-scan images of the pancreatic parenchyma in normal and cystic fibrosis patients were numerically analyzed. Images of both the maximum and minimum echoes from the tissue were generated by a recently-developed digital ultrasound system. Complete segregation of the two groups was achieved by averaging the echo amplitude over a selected region in the image. The dependence of the numerical values on the B-scan imaging mode, transducer properties, dynamic range compression curve, and operator scanning technique is discussed in depth.