Endoscopic and transcutaneous ultrasonographic findings and grey-scale histogram analysis in dogs with caerulein-induced pancreatitis.

Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), grey-scale histogram analysis of EUS images, and transcutaneous ultrasonography (TUS) were done in four dogs with caerulein-induced pancreatitis. One other dog was subjected to laparotomy and biopsy specimens were collected for histopathology. By EUS, the pancreatic lesions were first detected at 60 minutes after the start of caerulein infusion. They were detected after 120 to 150 minutes when using TUS. EUS findings included swelling, a more distinct lobular pattern, subcapsular hypoechoic areas, and anechoic stripes through the pancreatic tissue. No marked changes in the histogram analysis was seen until 30 minutes. From 30 to 60 minutes, a decrease in the mean brightness of the pancreatic tissue was observed. These changes in mean brightness reflected histopathological findings showing vacuolization of acinar cells and interstitial oedema of the pancreas. These findings indicated that EUS can detect slight and diffuse changes in pancreatic tissue. Furthermore, grey-scale histogram analysis detects histopathological changes more sensitively than endoscopic ultrasound images.