Question

A 45-year-old female underwent Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for evaluation of suspected biliary strictures. ERCP identifies two ducts in the pancreas, a small ventral duct and a larger dorsal duct. Diagnosis of pancreatic divisum was made. Which of the following is incorrect regarding the condition?

A) It is a congenital anomaly.
B) It results in the formation of a smaller ventral duct.
C) It can lead to recurrent pancreatitis.
D) It is associated with increased pancreatic exocrine function.

Answer 1

Pancreatic divisum is a congenital anomaly where the ducts fail to fuse, leading to drainage through a smaller accessory duct, which can result in recurrent pancreatitis. It is not associated with increased pancreatic exocrine function.

Step-by-step explanation:

The condition diagnosed in the patient who underwent Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is pancreatic divisum, which is a congenital anomaly where the pancreatic ducts fail to fuse properly during embryological development. This leads to the pancreas draining primarily through the smaller duct (the accessory duct) rather than the main duct. The correct statements regarding this condition are that it is a congenital anomaly (A), it results in the formation of a smaller ventral duct (B), and it can lead to recurrent pancreatitis (C). The incorrect statement (D) is that it is associated with increased pancreatic exocrine function. In fact, pancreatic divisum can be associated with recurrent pancreatitis because of an altered drainage pattern, but it does not inherently result in an increase in exocrine function of the pancreas.