Pancreas Divisum

Pancreas divisum: correlation between anatomical abnormalities and bile precipitation in the gallbladder in seven patients

Pancreas divisum is a genetic defect associated with recurrent acute pancreatitis due to insufficient drainage of the accessory pancreatic duct. Seven young patients diagnosed with pancreatic divisum and thickening of the gallbladder bile as shown on magnetic resonance cholangio-pancreatography without pancreatic ductal changes underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. During the mean follow-up of 32 months no episode of pancreatitis was reported. There is an association between PD and higher concentration of bile in the gallbladder. Cholecystectomy can be considered curative in patients with PD in the absence of indications for major surgery.

Pancreas divisum: a differentiated surgical approach in symptomatic patients

BACKGROUND

Some patients with pancreas divisum (PD) develop symptoms of recurrent pancreatitis. This is probably caused by insufficient drainage of the pancreatic duct. We report the results of our follow-up of patients who underwent surgery for symptomatic pancreas divisum according to an individualized surgical approach.

METHODS

Between October 2001 and April 2009, 28 patients with symptomatic pancreas divisum were operated at the University Hospital of Heidelberg. According to the localization and type of morphological changes of the pancreas, patients received a reinsertion of the papilla (SP; n=11), duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection (DPPHR; n=10), pylorus-preserving Whipple (ppWhipple; n=4), or other pancreatic resections (n=3). Hospitalization, morbidity, mortality, pain course, and patient satisfaction were analyzed.

RESULTS

Before surgery, patients received a median of three endoscopic interventions and were hospitalized for 77 days. The median postoperative follow-up was 4.1 years. Surgical morbidity was 11% and mortality 0%. We performed an SP when the pancreas was soft (n=10). When the pancreas was inflammatory altered, a DPPHR was performed in ten, ppW in four, segmental resection in two, and SP and pancreatic left resection in one case. A redo operation for persisting symptoms was needed in six patients (3 soft and 3 altered pancreas). Compared with the preoperative situation, pain was significantly reduced in the follow-up (median Visual Analogue Scale 0 vs. 10). Ninety-six percent of patients were without symptoms during the follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

The individualized surgical approach for patients with symptomatic PD achieves significant reduction of pain in all patients. Reinsertions of the papilla should be performed as a first surgical intervention in patients with a soft pancreas when symptoms persist despite adequate endoscopic treatment. DPPHR should be performed when fibrotic alterations of the pancreas are present.

Clinical implications of accessory pancreatic duct

The accessory pancreatic duct (APD) is the main drainage duct of the dorsal pancreatic bud in the embryo, entering the duodenum at the minor duodenal papilla (MIP). With the growth, the duct of the dorsal bud undergoes varying degrees of atrophy at the duodenal end. Patency of the APD in 291 control cases was 43% as determined by dye-injection endoscopic retrograde pancreatography. Patency of the APD in 46 patients with acute pancreatitis was only 17%, which was significantly lower than in control cases (P < 0.01). The terminal shape of the APD was correlated with APD patency. Based on the data about correlation between the terminal shape of the APD and its patency, the estimated APD patency in 167 patients with acute pancreatitis was 21%, which was significantly lower than in control cases (P < 0.01). A patent APD may function as a second drainage system for the main pancreatic duct to reduce the pressure in the main pancreatic duct and prevent acute pancreatitis. Pancreatographic findings of 91 patients with pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) were divided into a normal duct group (80 patients) and a dorsal pancreatic duct (DPD) dominant group (11 patients). While 48 patients (60%) with biliary carcinoma (gallbladder carcinoma, n = 42; bile duct carcinoma, n = 6) were identified in PBM with a normal pancreatic duct system, only two cases of gallbladder carcinoma (18%) occurred in DPD-dominant patients (P < 0.05). Concentration of amylase in the bile of DPD dominance was significantly lower than that of normal pancreatic duct system (75 403.5 ± 82 015.4 IU/L vs 278 157.0 ± 207 395.0 IU/L, P < 0.05). In PBM with DPD dominance, most pancreatic juice in the upper DPD is drained into the duodenum via the MIP, and reflux of pancreatic juice to the biliary tract might be reduced, resulting in less frequency of associated biliary carcinoma.

Long-term follow-up of endoscopic stenting in patients with chronic pancreatitis secondary to pancreas divisum

BACKGROUND

Pancreas divisum is the most common anatomic variant of pancreatic development and may lead to pancreatitis. This study evaluated the efficacy of endoscopic stenting in patients with chronic pancreatitis due to pancreas divisum.

METHODS

Between 1993 and 2005, 32 patients with chronic pancreatitis due to pancreas divisum were treated with endoscopic stenting. Each patient underwent an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography to confirm the diagnosis of pancreas divisum prior to endoscopic stenting. A survey was conducted by telephone conversation to evaluate pain intensity, symptom relief, hospital admissions, quality of life and pain medication usage, which was verified by a statewide narcotic electronic database. Eight of the 32 patients were unavailable for the interview and were not included in the analysis of the study. Results are expressed as mean +/- standard error of the mean (SEM).

RESULTS

Twenty-four patients were followed up for a period of 59.6 months. The overall pain level average in the 24 patients decreased significantly from 8.9 +/- 0.4 pre-stenting to 3.9 +/- 0.7 post-stenting (P < 0.05) on a scale of 1 to 10. The number of hospital admissions per year in these patients decreased significantly from 7.3 +/- 2.1 pre-stenting to 2.1 +/- 0.4 post-stenting (P < 0.05). Pain medication usage reported by the patients found a decrease in 58% of patients, 21% remained the same, and 13% increased their usage. There was improvement in nausea (67%), vomiting (63%), and chronic pain (75%). Thirteen patients (55%) were treated endoscopically without requiring surgery and 11 (45%) patients required surgery after stenting. These 11 patients had surgery an average of 25 months post-stenting. The complication rate of post-procedural pancreatitis was 3.4%. No mortality was reported in this study.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic stenting of the pancreatic duct is a safe and effective first treatment for patients with pancreatitis secondary to pancreas divisum. Surgery, when performed for endoscopic stenting failure, is effective as an adjunctive treatment.

Technology insight: applications of MRI for the evaluation of benign disease of the pancreas

This article reviews the role of MRI in the evaluation of benign pancreatic disease. Although MRI and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) are most often used to evaluate the liver and bile duct, technical advances such as the use of secretin stimulation also allow for high-quality imaging of the pancreas and pancreatic ductal system. Secretin-stimulated MRCP (S-MRCP) can aid the diagnosis of acute and chronic pancreatitis, and delineate ductal pathology such as benign strictures and duct leaks. There seems to be a role for S-MRCP in the assessment of pancreatic function and (possibly) sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. When endoscopic or surgical therapy is planned, S-MRCP can help to establish a diagnosis as well as offer a 'road map' to guide therapy. S-MRCP is noninvasive and almost entirely without risk to the patient, which gives it a distinct advantage over traditional endoscopic methods of diagnosis for conditions such as pancreas divisum and other ductal pathology. The information provided by S-MRCP, obtained before endoscopic or surgical therapy is attempted, can assist the patient and physician in making a fully informed decision with regard to the risks and probable benefits of any planned intervention.

Pancreatic tumor associated with pancreas divisum

BACKGROUND

Although there has been considerable controversy regarding pancreas divisum and pancreatitis, little discussion of this has taken place. The purpose of the present paper was to investigate the relationship between these two conditions.

METHODS

A retrospective investigation was undertaken of pancreatic tumors associated with pancreas divisum, in 650 cases of pancreatic carcinoma, 80 cases of intraductal papillary mucinous tumor of the pancreas and 32 cases of pancreas divisum.

RESULTS

Of these 32 cases, four (12.5%) were associated with pancreatic tumor: pancreatic carcinoma (n = 3) and intraductal papillary mucinous tumor (n = 1). All tumors developed from the dorsal pancreas of pancreas divisum. Periductal and interlobular fibrosis detected in the non-carcinomatous pancreas of the margin of distal pancreatectomy implied that chronic dorsal pancreatitis associated with pancreas divisum preceded carcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Pancreatic tumors were detected in 12.5% of cases of pancreas divisum. In pancreas divisum, longstanding pancreatic duct obstruction caused by relative stenosis of the minor duodenal papilla might be a factor promoting oncogenesis.

[Pancreas divisum and the dominant dorsal duct syndrome]

Pancreas divisum, the most frequent congenital malformation of the pancreas, results from the absence of embryologic fusion of the dorsal and ventral pancreatic ducts which keep an autonomy of drainage. The dorsal pancreatic duct is dominant and drains the major part of the pancreatic fluid through a non adapted accessory papilla. The high prevalence of pancreas divisum in patients presenting recurrent acute pancreatitis, the presence of obstructive pancreatitis electively located on the dorsal pancreatic duct and the results of the treatments targeted on the accessory papilla are the arguments pleading for the pathogenic character of the pancreas divisum. Currently, the diagnosis of pancreas divisum is based on magnetic resonance imaging. For symptomatic patients (after exclusion of patients with intestinal functional disorders), results of endoscopic sphincterotomy or surgical sphincteroplasty are favourable in 75% of patients with recurrent acute pancreatitis. They are worse in patients with chronic pain. Surgical sphincteroplasty must be discussed in the same manner as the endoscopic treatment for sometimes avoiding multiplication of the procedures.