The ultrasonic and biochemical diagnosis of pancreatitis in children.

Pancreatic ultrasonography and the determination of serum amylase and amylase creatinine clearance ration were performed on 17 normal children and on 35 children with abdominal pain. In all 17 normal subjects the echodensity of the pancreas was equal to or greater than that of the liver. Nineteen patients with abdominal pain had reduced echodensity of the pancreas when compared to that in normal children, and two of the 19 had pseudocysts. Serum amylase values and/or amylase creatinine clearance ratio correlated poorly with ultrasonic and clinical evidence of pancreatitis.