AJR 2002; 178:79-86
Lesniak RJ, Hohenwalter MD, Taylor AJ.
The discovery of pancreatic calcifications has long been used in the diagnosis of pancreatic disease, and for many years imaging of the pancreas was largely limited to the radiographic identification of these calcifications. Today, our ability to image the pancreas has greatly advanced with modalities including CT, sonography, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and MR imaging. This improved visualization of the pancreas allows better identification of pancreatic calcifications and their underlying cause.
Traditionally, pancreatic calcifications have been largely associated with chronic calcific pancreatitis from alcohol abuse. Although alcohol abuse remains the predominant cause of pancreatic calcifications, many other causes also deserve attention. Knowing what entities cause calcifications and their typical appearance can help in an accurate diagnosis. However, imaging alone cannot be trusted for a definitive diagnosis because many of these entities overlap in their appearance [1]. We report a spectrum of causes and imaging appearances related to calcification of the pancreas.