Pancreatic duct
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Pancreatic duct | |
|---|---|
| The pancreatic duct. | |
| Latin | ductus pancreaticus |
| Gray's | subject #251 1202 |
| Precursor | Pancreatic bud |
| MeSH | Pancreatic+Ducts |
The pancreatic duct, or duct of Wirsung, is a duct joining the pancreas to the bile duct to supply pancreatic juices which aid in digestion provided by the "exocrine pancreas".
[edit] Accessory pancreatic duct
Most people have one pancreatic duct, which joins the biliary tract just prior to the ampulla of Vater.
Many others have an additional "accessory pancreatic duct", called duct of Santorini, which connects straight to the duodenum. Both these ducts connect to the second part (the vertical one) of the duodenum.
However, The Duct of Santorini which bypasses the Ampulla of Vater is non-functional whereas the Duct of Wirsung is functional and carries the digestive enzymes released by the pancreas.
[edit] Clinical significance
Compression, obstruction or inflammation of the pancreatic duct may lead to acute pancreatitis. The most common cause for obstruction is choledocholithiasis, or gallstones in the common bile duct.
[edit] Additional images
Accessory digestive system. |
Interior of the descending portion of the duodenum, showing bile papilla. |
Pancreas of a human embryo of five weeks. |
Pancreas of a human embryo at end of sixth week. |
 | This anatomy article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
| Pancreas (Tail, Body, Head, Islets of Langerhans) | Gallbladder | Liver
Bile ducts: (Bile canaliculus, Common hepatic duct, Cystic duct, Common bile duct) | Pancreatic duct | Hepatopancreatic ampulla |
