Ultrasound characteristics of the pancreas in children with cystic fibrosis

Eighteen patients (3 months to 16 years) with cystic fibrosis (CF) were examined with a real-time mechanical sector-scanner (5 MH transducer). Compared with age-matched controls, each CF patient showed morphologic changes in the pancreas on abdominal ultrasound examination. A very common finding was a decrease in organ anterior-posterior diameters (CF versus controls: head, 1.25 +/- 0.38 cm versus 2.44 +/- 0.39 cm; body, 0.56 +/- 0.35 cm versus 0.98 +/- 0.3 cm; tail, 0.83 +/- 0.28 cm versus 1.81 +/- 0.38 cm) and a pronounced, age-independent increase in tissue echogenicity. In younger patients, small cystic degenerations could be observed in the pancreatic tail. No correlation could be found between ultrasound morphology, especially pancreatic duct imaging, and exocrine pancreatic function.