Efficacy of shear wave elastography for the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis.

Background/purpose: Shear wave elastography (SWE) is a clinical method used to evaluate liver hardness. In this study, we assessed its applicability in assessing the pancreas and its potential for diagnosing chronic pancreatitis.

Methods: We performed SWE on 59 patients who underwent abdominal ultrasound, and measured the computed tomography (CT) values of the pancreas. Patients were classified as having a normal pancreas (NP), early chronic pancreatitis (ECP), or chronic pancreatitis (CP). SW elasticity (SWe), SW dispersion (SWd), and CT values between groups were analyzed.

Results: SWe significantly differed between the CP and NP/ECP groups (NP vs CP; P = 0.001, ECP vs CP; P = 0.026,), while SWd showed a significant difference only between the NP and CP group (NP vs CP; P = 0.001). The CT values were significantly different between the CP and NP/ECP groups (NP vs CP; P = 0.0006, ECP vs CP; P = 0.0027).

Conclusion: Pancreatic SWE and CT values were helpful in the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis. SWd may reveal status changes in ECP.