Ultrasonography of the pancreas.

Although the pancreas is often thought of as an organ that is difficult to explore using ultrasound (US), because of its deep retroperitoneal location, with the appropriate technique it can be studied successfully in most patients. In this article, the authors discuss the use of available US techniques in the diagnosis of the most common pancreatic diseases, the use of US intraoperatively, and the use of sonographic guidance for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The authors also briefly discuss the potential use of elastosonography techniques in the evaluation of pancreatic disease.