{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,15]],"date-time":"2026-01-15T01:24:32Z","timestamp":1768440272183,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":18,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"12","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Gut"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[1979,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>In man, the main pancreatic duct is normally derived from ventral and dorsal embryological buds of the pancreas. In a minority of people, failure of fusion of the two buds results in separate drainage of the dorsal and ventral pancreas, so that the accessory duct provides the main drainage for the gland. Patients with this anomaly demonstrated at endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP) have been investigated to assess whether non-fusion of the main pancreatic duct predisposes to the development of pancreatitis. A failure of fusion of the pancreatic ducts was seen in 21 out of 449 (4.7%) successful pancreatograms; four of these 21 patients had definite clinical evidence of pancreatitis and two patients had possible pancreatic disease, but in the remainder the anomaly was not considered to be clinically relevant. An abnormal pancreatogram suggesting pancreatitis was present in 116 out of the 428 patients (27.1%) with a normally fused duct system. The anomaly was found as frequently in the whole series as it was seen in patients with pancreatitis. These findings suggest that embryological failure of pancreatic duct fusion does not predispose to the development of pancreatitis. However, the presence of this anomaly may lead to misinterpretation of ultrasonographic and CT scan findings.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/gut.20.12.1066","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2007,9,18]],"date-time":"2007-09-18T17:41:31Z","timestamp":1190137291000},"page":"1066-1071","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":57,"title":["Clinical relevance of an unfused pancreatic duct system."],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"20","author":[{"given":"C J","family":"Mitchell","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"D J","family":"Lintott","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"W S","family":"Ruddell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"M S","family":"Losowsky","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"A T","family":"Axon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[1979,12,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"910","DOI":"10.1136\/gut.19.10.910","article-title":"Lundh test and ERCP in pancreatic disease","volume":"19","author":"Ashton, M.G.; Axon, A.T.R.; Lintott, D.J.","year":"1978","unstructured":"Ashton, M. 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A study of the pancreatic duct system in man by the use of vinyl acetate casts of postmortem preparations. Surgery, Gynecology, and Obstetrics, 110, 391-403.","journal-title":"Surgery, Gynecology, and Obstetrics"},{"key":"ref_4","first-page":"400","article-title":"Malfusion of dorsal and ventral pancreas; a cause of pancreatitis?","volume":"18","author":"Cotton, P.B.; Kizu, M.","year":"1977","unstructured":"Cotton, P. B., and Kizu, M. (1977). Malfusion of dorsal and ventral pancreas; a cause of pancreatitis? Gut, 18, A400. (Abstract).","journal-title":"Gut"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"539","DOI":"10.1016\/0002-9610(77)90429-9","article-title":"Pancreas divisum: its association with pancreatitis","volume":"134","author":"Gregg, J.A.","year":"1977","unstructured":"Gregg, J. A. (1977). Pancreas divisum: its association with pancreatitis. 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American Journal ofMedical Science, 214, 617-622.","journal-title":"American Journal ofMedical Science"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"795","DOI":"10.1001\/archsurg.1955.01270180001001","article-title":"Anatomy of the pancreas: a study with special reference to the duct system","volume":"71","author":"Kleitsch, W.P.","year":"1955","unstructured":"Kleitsch, W. P. (1955). Anatomy of the pancreas: a study with special reference to the duct system. Archives of Surgery, 71, 795-802.","journal-title":"Archives of Surgery"},{"issue":"45","key":"ref_9","first-page":"52","article-title":"Pancreas divisum: a significantly higher incidence in chronic pancreatitis?","volume":"12","author":"Kruse, A.","year":"1977","unstructured":"Kruse, A. (1977). Pancreas divisum: a significantly higher incidence in chronic pancreatitis? Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 12, Suppl. 45, 52. 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Reclam: Leipzig.","journal-title":"Anatomie"},{"key":"ref_12","first-page":"835","article-title":"The Lundh test in the diagnosis of pancreatic disease; A review of five years'","volume":"14","author":"Mottaleb, A.; Kapp, F.; Noguera, E.C.A.; Kellock, T.D.; Wiggins, H.S.; Waller, S.L.","year":"1973","unstructured":"Mottaleb, A., Kapp, F., Noguera, E. C. A., Kellock, T. D., Wiggins, H. S., and Waller, S. L. (1973). The Lundh test in the diagnosis of pancreatic disease; A review of five years' experience. Gut, 14, 835-841.","journal-title":"experience. Gut"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"70","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0028-1098600","article-title":"Variations and anomalies of the papilla of Vater, the pancreas and the biliary duct system","volume":"6","author":"Phillip, J.; Koch, H.; Classen, M.","year":"1974","unstructured":"Phillip, J., Koch, H., and Classen, M. (1974). Variations and anomalies of the papilla of Vater, the pancreas and the biliary duct system. 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