Pancreatic tumor associated with pancreas divisum.
BACKGROUND
Although there has been considerable controversy regarding pancreas divisum and pancreatitis, little discussion of this has taken place. The purpose of the present paper was to investigate the relationship between these two conditions.


METHODS
A retrospective investigation was undertaken of pancreatic tumors associated with pancreas divisum, in 650 cases of pancreatic carcinoma, 80 cases of intraductal papillary mucinous tumor of the pancreas and 32 cases of pancreas divisum.


RESULTS
Of these 32 cases, four (12.5%) were associated with pancreatic tumor: pancreatic carcinoma (n = 3) and intraductal papillary mucinous tumor (n = 1). All tumors developed from the dorsal pancreas of pancreas divisum. Periductal and interlobular fibrosis detected in the non-carcinomatous pancreas of the margin of distal pancreatectomy implied that chronic dorsal pancreatitis associated with pancreas divisum preceded carcinoma.


CONCLUSIONS
Pancreatic tumors were detected in 12.5% of cases of pancreas divisum. In pancreas divisum, longstanding pancreatic duct obstruction caused by relative stenosis of the minor duodenal papilla might be a factor promoting oncogenesis.
Kamisawa
Terumi
T
Department of Internal Medicine, Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital, 3-18-22 Honkomagome, Bunkyo-ku, 113-8677 Tokyo, Japan. kamisawa@cick.jp
Yoshiike
Masami
M
Egawa
Naoto
N
Tsuruta
Kouji
K
Okamoto
Atsutake
A
Funata
Nobuaki
N
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D000368:Aged; D049448:Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000002:abnormalities*; D010180:Pancreatectomy; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed