Double Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasonographic Features of Gastric Heterotopic Pancreas
Jiawen Dong, Chunyang Yu, Zhikang Xu, Minghai Yang, Wei Zhu, Bin Ying, Bin Xia, JianQiang MaoObjectives
The purpose of this study was to analyze the features of double contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (DCEUS) in gastric heterotopic pancreas.
Methods
We retrospectively analyzed the DCEUS images (grayscale, color Doppler, and CEUS) of patients diagnosed with gastric heterotopic pancreas based on B‐mode endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) findings in our hospital between January 2017 and December 2025.
Results
A total of 30 patients were included during the study period (16 women and 14 men, aged from 7 to 73 years, with a mean age of 51.6 years). The lesions were predominantly located in the gastric antrum (23/30). On grayscale ultrasound, most lesions presented as flattened masses (23/30), showing hypoechoic (11/30), or isoechoic (16/30) echogenicity with clear boundaries (22/30), and most originated from the submucosal layer (22/30). Color Doppler ultrasound showed absent or only minimal intralesional blood flow in the vast majority of cases (28/30). On CEUS, all lesions demonstrated hyperenhancement, with a fast‐in and slow‐out enhancement pattern observed in most cases (24/30). Internal duct‐like structures were seen in 12 patients (12/30), and central umbilication was observed in 6 patients (6/30).
Conclusion
Gastric heterotopic pancreas demonstrates relatively characteristic DCEUS features, which can provide non‐invasive imaging evidence to support EUS‐based diagnosis.