Ultrasound in acute pancreatic trauma.

The ultrasound findings are reviewed in 4 patients with surgically proven acute pancreatic trauma. Despite technically adequate sonograms, pancreatic injuries were not prospectively diagnosed in any of the patients. Computed tomography (CT) performed shortly after ultrasound demonstrated changes of traumatic pancreatitis in each case. Because of the subtlety of the ultrasound findings, CT appears to be the preferred method for evaluating suspected pancreatic trauma.