Pancreas divisum is an anatomical abnormality where the junction of the main and accessory pancreatic duct fails to occur and the smaller-caliber duct acts as dominant, resulting in overload during the drainage of the organ’s secretion through the minor duodenal papilla.
To report a case of recurrent acute pancreatitis due to symptomatic pancreas divisum who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy.
A 21-year-old male patient presented with intermittent painful crises, located in the upper abdomen, with radiation to the back, associated with nausea and vomiting, for the past three years. Magnetic resonance imaging and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography revealed pancreas divisum, subsequently confirmed by endoscopic ultrasound. An attempt was made through endoscopic intervention but failed to catheterize the minor papilla; therefore, a pancreaticoduodenectomy was indicated. The organ was identified as hard and atrophied, with moderate peripancreatic inflammation. The histopathological findings also identified a focal well-differentiated G1-type neuroendocrine tumor measuring 0.4 cm.
In patients with pancreas divisum, rare cases may progress to recurrent acute pancreatitis. Pancreaticoduodenectomy is an option in symptomatic patients who had no success with endoscopic treatment.
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