The pancreas is a parenchymal organ located in the left hypochondrium at the level of the first lumbar vertebrae. It consists of a head, body and tail. In front of the gland is the stomach, behind - the aorta, inferior vena cava and portal vein, on the left - the left kidney. The excretory duct, connecting with the common bile duct, flows into the duodenum. There is also an additional passage that flows into this gut on its own.
The pancreas is a complex tubular glandular formation and has special cells - the islets of Langerhans that secrete insulin.
The pancreas performs some important functions in the body. One of them is the production of insulin, which regulates carbohydrate metabolism. In particular, a huge role is played by the regulation of blood glucose and its accumulation in the form of glycogen in the liver. The second important function is the development of an alkaline reaction of juice containing trypsin, lipase, amylase. All these enzymes are directly involved in digestion, breaking down proteins into amino acids,fats to glycerol and fatty acids, carbohydrates to m altose. How to check the pancreas and its functional activity, you can learn more in diagnostic methods.
Pathological processes in the gland, such as inflammation or swelling (cancer of the gland), necrosis, as well as a mechanical obstruction in the duct, can cause dysfunction of the gland. This affects mainly the digestion of fats that are not absorbed in the body. If the islets of Largenhans are damaged, type 1 diabetes develops. How is the pancreas checked?
To make a diagnosis, the doctor needs to know the patient's complaints. The main one is pain, which is localized in the epigastric region. It can be paroxysmal, manifests itself more often after eating and radiates to the left hypochondrium, shoulder blade. This symptom is characteristic of necrosis, chronic pancreatitis, cancer and inflammation of the gland. The intensity of pain decreases in a sitting position with the torso tilted forward.
Alternating diarrhea and constipation is also one of the symptoms of pancreatic diseases. Feces have a putrid odor and a lot of fat.
One of the clearest examples of symptoms of pancreatic disease is jaundice. Depending on the specific disease, the color of the skin and sclera can vary from light yellow to yellow with an earthy tint.
In diabetes, the first symptoms will be severe thirst, hunger and polyuria. How to check the pancreas and its features
Palpation matters only in case of possible detection of a tumor or cyst of considerable size. Of the laboratory diagnostic methods, they use the determination of the amount of enzymes secreted by the gland, the study of feces and urine, biochemical and general blood tests, ultrasound of the gland.
If pancreatitis is suspected, a probe check of the amount of enzymes is done. A reduced content of enzymes may indicate the presence of some kind of mechanical obstruction on the way to their release into the duodenum. Such an obstruction may be a stone in the bile duct or a pancreatic tumor.
How is the pancreas checked during stool and urine tests? Urinalysis is done to detect amylase. Its presence indicates an acute stage of the process. Fecal analysis reveals the level of undigested food and fatty acids, which may indicate insufficiency of pancreatic enzymes.
A complete blood count will show if there is an inflammatory process in the gland. A biochemical analysis will tell you about the level of the enzyme amylase, cholesterol (which is an indirect sign of the presence of diabetes), glucose (indicates the state of carbohydrate metabolism) and globulin.
Ultrasound of the pancreas will allow you to visualize its structure and the presence or absence of cysts, tumors. Normally, the echogenicity of the pancreas should be similar to the echogenicity of neighboring organs (spleen, liver). With ultrasound of the pancreas, you can find out the dimensions of the main components: normally for the tail - 35 mm, for the head - 32 mm, for the body - 21 mm. The contours of the gland shouldbe clear, even, and the parenchyma should not have any changes.
Magnetic resonance imaging will help to more accurately say about the increase in the walls or parenchyma, the presence or absence of cysts, tumors, since with the help of special devices it is possible to obtain a layered image. For this type of study, a contrast agent must be injected before starting the procedure. Computed magnetic resonance imaging allows to detect changes in 97% of cases and is the most accurate and informative research method.
X-ray contrast study will determine the narrowing or expansion of the pancreatic excretory duct.
If any of the symptoms are detected, you should immediately consult a doctor for help in diagnosing and treating the established pathology.
