The fine venous architecture of the major duodenal papilla in human beings.

After injecting Indian ink or sulphate of barium backwards into the venous trunks that drain the 2nd portion of the duodenum, the author describes 3 venous networks, continuous to the major papilla and which differ in their topography and morphology of their nets. From the functional point of view, he believes that the traction or compression of the collectors' walls might cause turgidity in the deep network, regulating the bile-pancreatic outlet as well as not allowing the duodenal reflow. The author states that during papillotomies the bleeding is insignificant, because the thick veins lie in the body and at the base of the papilla.