Which is the most common congenital anomaly of the pancreas?
High-Yield Explanation
Pancreas divisum is the most common congenital anomaly of the pancreas, with an incidence of 3% to 10%. In most individuals, the main pancreatic duct (the duct of Wirsung) joins the common bile duct just proximal to the papilla of Vater, and the accessory pancreatic duct (the duct of Santorini) drains into the duodenum through a separate minor papilla. Pancreas divisum is caused by a failure of fusion of the fetal duct systems of the dorsal and ventral pancreatic primordia. As a result, the bulk of the pancreas (formed by the dorsal pancreatic primordium) drains into the duodenum through the small-caliber minor papilla. The duct of Wirsung in persons with divisum drains only a small poion of the head of the gland through the papilla of Vater.Ref: Robbins Pathology; 9th edition; Page no: 884