Trifidum anomaly of the main pancreatic duct.

BACKGROUND

Embryology of the human pancreas is very complex and any alteration in its development may lead to congenital biliopancreatic malformations and anomalies not thoroughly studied in literature. We here report a case of trifurcation of the Wirsung duct, avery unusual variant of the main pancreatic duct.

METHOD: An 80- year-old woman underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdomen and a magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) to characterize a hypoechoic lesion of the pancreas detected with ultrasonography.

RESULTS

MRI and MRCP showed a 24-mm multicystic lesion communicating with a prominent main pancreatic duct, consistent with an intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, as well as an ansa pancreatica. Moreover a bifidity of the distal pancreatic duct and a further accessory duct of the body of the pancreas draining into the main pancreatic duct were identified. The pancreatic tail presented normal size and morphology on axial imaging. This anomaly, not reported yet in the literature, can be categorized as a number of a duplication anomaly, in which the main pancreatic duct is trifurcated along its length.

CONCLUSION

Congenital anomalies of the pancreas and pancreatic duct are rare but not uncommonly detected on diagnostic imaging. MRI and MRCP are the non-invasive imaging modalities of choice for diagnosing congenital anomalies of the pancreas and the pancreatic duct.