[The vessels of the retropancreatic space in grey-scale-ultrasound. A contribution to the topography of the pancreas (author's transl)].

Normal pancreatic parenchyma and retropancreatic vessels can be well visualized and differentiated by grey-scale-tomography. The posterior border of the head and body of the pancreas can be defined better with the grey-scale-technique than with other ultra-sound-techniques by visualization of the retropancreatic vessels. For this purpose the venous system (portal vein, splenic vein and superior mesenteric vein) is more important than the arteries because of their closer topographic relationship to head and body of the pancreas. Identification and separation of those veins from other vascular structures is easily possible because of their constantly reliable topography and typical configuration on transverse section. The spleno-porto-vascular bundle--resembling a tadpole--should be demonstrated well enough to avoid the occasional confusion with the pancreas itself.