Study on the Inferior Branch from the Dorsal Pancreatic Duct of Pancreas Divisum

Abstract

We examined endoscopic retrograde pancreatograms of 12 cases with pancreas divisum about inferior branches from the dorsal pancreatic duct in the head of pancreas. An inferior branch over 10mm in length was demonstrated in all cases. A long inferior branch over 20mm in length was detected in 9 cases and a short inferior branch between 10mm and 19mm was in 7 cases. Only a long inferior branch was detected in 5 cases, both long and short inferior branches were in 4 cases, and only a short inferior branch was in 3 cases. A long inferior branch arised frequently from the dorsal pancreatic duct between 20mm and 26mm from the minor duodenal papilla, and a short inferior branch between 7mm and 15mm.
Of 70 cases, in which the length of Wirsung's duct from its orifice to its junction with Santorini's duct was long and the course of the dorsal pancreatic duct formed a straight line (long type) , a long inferior branch was demonstrated in 59 cases from Santorini's duct, and a short inferior branch was in 42 cases. A long inferior branch arised frequently from Santorini's duct between 13mm and 25mm from the minor duodenal papilla, and a short inferior branch between 7mm and 14mm. These findings were similar to those of pancreas divisum.
It was suggested that the dorsal pancreatic ducts of both pancreas divisum and long type were persistent drainage ducts of the embryologic dorsal pancreatic bud.