Ultrasonography of the pancreas. 2. Harmonic imaging

Abstract

Tissue harmonic imaging (THI) is a relatively new ultrasonographic imaging modality which has been implemented in many modern scanners. As several previous studies have pointed out, THI can help to overcome some shortcomings of conventional B-mode ultrasonography (US). The aim of this article is to give a compact summary of the potentials of THI, focused on pancreatic imaging. Beginning with a recapitulation of the technical background of THI, the particularities and suitable applications of THI in US of the pancreas are discussed. Examination protocols and typical indications are presented together with example images. Finally, new trends and developments in B-mode sonography of the pancreas such as panorama US, compound imaging, and photopic US are mentioned.