Bilobular pancreas: another variant of the divided pancreas?

Background. Pancreas divisum is the most common anomaly of the pancreas. This anomaly has been known as a possible cause of recurrent pancreatitis. Case report. We performed computerized tomography (CT) of the abdomen in 5 children in whom a divided pancreas was confirmed using endoscopic cholangiopancreatography. In a girl, who had three episodes of severe acute pancreatitis, a CT examination confirmed a completely divided embryonal dorsal and ventral primordium. We named this variant of the divided pancreas the "bilobular pancreas". Contrary to the remaining 4 children in whom the control of the number and severity of attacks, as well as the control of pancreatic pain were achieved by pharmacotherapeutics and an adequate diet, in the reported patient sphincteroplasty of the papilla duodeni minor resulted in a full control of the disease. Conclusion. The paper discussed the possibility that the variant of the divided pancreas, with anatomically completely separated ventral and dorsal pancreas and their ductal systems, is the key factor that determines the severity of pancreatic disease and an indication for sphincteroplasty of the papilla duodeni minor as the major therapeutic method.