The pancreas is responsible for regulating blood sugar levels and also secreting digestive enzymes via the pancreatic duct into the small intestine. The pancreas usually has one pancreatic duct. Sometimes due to developmental variation, there can be one main pancreatic duct with another “accessory” duct (also called the Duct of Santorini). This is a benign finding and is not associated with cancer. No further follow-up or evaluation is needed.
Pancreas divisum is the most common congenital (present at birth) pancreatic anomaly, occurring in approximately 10% of individuals. The pancreas is initially in two parts, each with its own duct (the ventral and dorsal duct). During fetal development, there is fusion of the two parts of the pancreas, as well as the two ducts to form one pancreatic duct. Pancreas divisum is failure of the ventral and dorsal ducts to fuse and as a result the pancreas drains by two distinct ducts.
Accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity is called ascites. There are numerous causes of ascites, but the most common cause in the U.S. is cirrhosis of the liver (which accounts for approximately 80% of cases). Cirrhosis is a condition in which scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue and prevents the liver from working normally. Other common causes of ascites are cancer-related or due to heart failure.
Pancreatic pseudocyst describes a fluid collection without the normal lining of cells that a cyst would have. Any injury to the pancreas, such as inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) or physical trauma, can damage the pancreatic ducts and cause a pseudocyst to form.
A serous cystadenoma of the pancreas is a non-cancerous abnormal tissue growth composed of numerous small cysts (sac-like pockets of membranous tissue that contains fluid) that appear in a honeycomb-like formation. The exact cause of serous cystadenomas is not well understood, however, it is possible that genetic mutations may contribute to formation.
The common iliac arteries branch off from the end of the abdominal aorta (the main blood vessel that exits the heart, bringing oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body). The common iliac arteries provide the primary blood supply to the lower limbs. An iliac aneurysm is a bulging and weakness in the wall of the iliac artery.
