Complementary Use of Ultrasound and Computed Tomography in Studies of the Pancreas and Kidney

Abstract

Human cases [113] of pancreatic and renal disease studied by ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) were analyzed retrospectively. CT provided a diagnosis when pancreatic ultrasound was unsuccessful due to overlying bowel gas or obesity and when renal ultrasound was unsuccessful due to obesity, reverberations from ribs, small or multiple lesions. Ultrasound provided a diagnosis when CT was unsuccessful due to lack of fat planes or respiratory motion. CT usually distinguished carcinoma from pancreatitis when ultrasound showed a focal echogenic mass. CT resolved renal cyst from neoplasm when ultrasound showed a mixed echo pattern mass.