Ansa Pancreatica-Type Anatomic Variation of the Pancreatic Duct in Patients with Recurrent Acute Pancreatitis and Chronic Localized Pancreatitis

Abstract

Ansa pancreatic is a rare variation of pancreas duct. Ansa pancreatica is characterized by focal accessory duct atrophy and an additional curved duct linking main and accessory ducts replacing atrophied duct. Ansa pancreatica is considered as a predisposing factor of recurrent pancreatitis. Pancreatitis can be localized in pancreas head and uncinate process, because pancreas head and uncinate process might be drained through the additional hooked duct of ansa pancreatica. We reports three cases of localized chronic or recurrent pancreatitis cases with underlying ansa pancreatica type anatomic variation.

Keywords

• pancreatic duct
• anatomic variation
• pancreatitis
• computed tomography
• x-ray