Radiologic imaging of acute pancreatitis

Abstract

Background. Acute pancreatitis comprises a broad spectrum of inflammatory changes in the gland and has a variety of causes. The most common are alcoholism and biliary tract disease. This paper discusses the current concepts of diagnosis and the relationship between morphology as depicted by imaging, pancreatic function tests and treatment planning.

Conclusions. Our understanding of the morphologic changes produced by the inflammatory process has expanded in the last decade as more sophisticated imaging techniques have been used for evaluation.