Ansa pancreatica-type anatomic variation of the pancreatic duct in patients with recurrent acute pancreatitis and chronic localized pancreatitis

Abstract

Ansa pancreatic is a rare variation of pancreas duct. Ansa pancreatica is characterized by focalaccessory duct atrophy and an additional curved duct linking main and accessory ducts replacingatrophied duct. Ansa pancreatica is considered as a predisposing factor of recurrent pancreatitis.Pancreatitis can be localized in pancreas head and uncinate process, because pancreashead and uncinate process might be drained through the additional hooked duct of ansapancreatica. We reports three cases of localized chronic or recurrent pancreatitis cases withunderlying ansa pancreatica type anatomic variation.