Early detection of chemotherapy-related pancreatic enlargement in children using abdominal sonography: a preliminary report.

At least two chemotherapeutic agents, prednisone and L-asparaginase, have been demonstrated to produce pancreatic injury. Early diagnosis of pancreatitis is frequently not possible, as symptoms are vague, physical findings may be minimal, and laboratory studies are frequently inconclusive until the injury is severe. Abdominal echography, as a monitor of pancreatic size, has proven to be helpful in the diagnosis of subclinical and early pancreatic injury of 14 of 19 selected children receiving prednisone and/or L-asparaginase therapy for acute leukemia or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at the M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute. Employment of this new diagnostic method permits prompt withdrawal of the causative agent(s), thus preventing further insult.