FUSION AND DUPLICATION VARIANTS OF PANCREATIC DUCT SYSTEM - CLINICAL AND PANCREATOGRAPHIC EVALUATION

The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of fusion and duplic ation variants of the pancreatic duct system and their clinical signif icance. A total of 650 endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography were reviewed; 485 cases with satisfactory imaging of the pancreatic d ucts were included in the study. Anatomic variants were observed in 48 patients (9.9%), fusion variants were 54.1% of the cases (22 pancreas divisum and 4 functional divisum), and duplication variants were 45.8 % (13 bifurcations of the main pancreatic duct, 4 loop, 2 N-shape, 3 r ing). Clinical indications to endoscopic cholangiopancreatography were idiopathic acute pancreatitis (33.3%), suspected chronic pancreatitis (18.7%), unexplained abdominal pain (14.5%), suspected pancreatic mas s (10.4%), chronic hyperamylasemia (6.2%), and acute biliary pancreati tis (16.6%). Except for acute biliary pancreatitis (significantly more frequent in duplication variants), no statistical difference was obse rved between the groups with anatomical variants concerning clinical f eatures.