title: Role of endoscopic ultrasound in the diagnosis of agenesis of the dorsal pancreas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Complete agenesis of the dorsal pancreas is an unusual congenital anomaly. Nowadays, the diagnosis is based on four imaging studies: transabdominal ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography and, the gold-standard, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Sometimes the ability of these studies are limited to distinguishing agenesis of the dorsal pancreas from other congenital abnormalities. Endoscopic ultrasound is a minimally invasive technique which permits us to obtain high resolution images of the pancreatic parenchyma and ductal system.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report the case of a 23-year-old woman with recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis and non-conclusive classic imaging studies. Complete agenesis of the dorsal pancreas was demonstrated by endoscopic ultrasound.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endoscopic ultrasound may be useful in the diagnosis of agenesis of the dorsal pancreas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Alicante, Spain. sempere_lau@gva.es
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sempere
authors.forename: José Ramón
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Aparicio
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Juan Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Casellas
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Madaria
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez-Mateo
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D049448:Cholangiopancreatography, Magnetic Resonance; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019160:Endosonography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010179:Pancreas / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed