Investigation for pancreatic juice reflux in pancreaticobiliary maljunction and high confluence of pancreaticobiliary ducts using a one-dimensional mathematical model of flow and mass transport

Abstract

Pancreaticobiliary maljunction or high confluence may cause pancreatic juice reflux into the biliary tract. However, the mechanism of the reflux is still unclear. This study has developed a one-dimensional mathematical model for the pancreaticobiliary flow system and simulated simultaneously the flow and the mass transport during bile refilling into the gallbladder, taking into account the mixing of the bile and the pancreatic juice and viscosity changes caused by the water absorbing of hepatic bile juice in the gallbladder. The effects of morphological parameters of the hepatobiliary and sphincter function on pancreatic fluid reflux were investigated. The viscosity changes due to both the water absorption in the gallbladder and mixing the bile juice and the pancreatic juice affected the pancreatic juice reflux, and the change of the length of the common channel within the region of the sphincter of Oddi was more sensitive.