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. 2015 Mar 24;10(3):e0121121.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121121. eCollection 2015.

Ultrasound echo-intensity predicts severe pancreatic affection in cystic fibrosis patients

Trond Engjom  1 , Friedemann Erchinger  2 , Birger N Lærum  3 , Erling Tjora  4 , Odd H Gilja  5 , Georg Dimcevski  1
Affiliations

Ultrasound echo-intensity predicts severe pancreatic affection in cystic fibrosis patients

Trond Engjom et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Pancreatic destruction affects the majority of patients with cystic fibrosis. We aimed to relate ultrasound findings to exocrine pancreatic function and cystic fibrosis genotype.

Methods: Patients with cystic fibrosis and a matched group of healthy controls were included. We performed transabdominal ultrasound, and recorded echo intensities of the pancreas and parenchymal characteristics according to endoscopic ultrasound based Rosemont criteria.

Results: We included 39 patients and 29 healthy controls. The cystic fibrosis patients were grouped according to exocrine pancreatic function; Cystic fibrosis, insufficient (n = 20) and sufficient (n = 19). Echo intensity measures and visual score demonstrated hyper-echogenicity in the pancreas insufficient group compared to the pancreas sufficient groups (p<0.001). Ductal and parenchymal changes were not prevalent in any of the groups.

Conclusion: The hyper-echoic pancreas was the most frequent ultrasonographic finding in exocrine pancreas insufficient cystic fibrosis patients. Pancreatic echo levels correlated to pancreatic phenotype.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Inclusion flow chart.
The figure displays the inclusion and exclusion of cystic fibrosis patients and healthy controls. (CF: Cystic fibrosis. CFI/CFS: Cystic fibrosis insufficient/ sufficient. HC: Healthy controls).
Fig 2
Fig 2. Pancreas ultrasonography.
The figure is displaying a normal pancreas in pancreas sufficient patient (left) and a typical hyper echoic pancreas in an insufficient patient (Right). The Visual score graded echogenicity 1 for the left pancreas and 4 for the right pancreas. The image to the right display region of interest (ROI) for Echo intensity measures (1: Liver, 2: pancreas, 3: Vessel (superior mesenteric vein)).
Fig 3
Fig 3. Liver-pancreas signal intensity ratio.
Box plots displaying outliers, 95% confidence intervals, Interquartile ranges and median values for the liver pancreas signal-intensity ratio in corresponding groups. (SIR: Signal intensity ratio, CFI/CFS: Cystic fibrosis pancreas insufficient/ sufficient. HC: Healthy controls).
Fig 4
Fig 4. Lipomatosis VAS.
Fig. displaying the rate of pancreas lipomatosis. White column display all patients in the groups. Dark columns display the number of subjects scored as VAS ≥3 (CFI/CFS: Cystic fibrosis pancreas insufficient/ sufficient. HC: Healthy controls).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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