Quantitative ultrasound and the pancreas: Demonstration of early detection capability

Identifying real-time changes in tissues via quantitative ultrasound (QUS) approaches are clinically significant, particularly if QUS changes correspond to early detection of disease or provide early assessment of treatment success. Thus, understanding sequential steps in disease progression is key for success. Cerulein-induced inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) in rodent models causes a significant release of pancreatic enzymes into blood, and it induces interstitial edema and inflammatory cell infiltration into the pancreas. This degree of pancreatitis is relatively mild: all animals survive the induction of pancreatitis that resolves itself in ∼7 days. This makes this model an excellent one for studying ultrasonic attenuation coefficient (AC: dB/cm-MHz) and backscatter coefficient (BSC: 1/cm-sr) over time. The edematous stroma, cell shrinkage and death, followed by repopulation by dedifferentiated acinar cells, has certain similarities with the morphologies of some forms of pancreatic carcinoma (PCa).