[Comparative radiological and morphological study of the human pancreas. III. Morphometric investigation of the major pancreatic duct (author's transl)].

A ductographical and histological study was carried out in 70 human pancreata postmortem. The diameter, the thickness and the length of the major pancreatic duct were measured. The obtained data were evaluated statistically. The autopsy revealed in 7 cases an acute or a mild chronic pancreatitis, in 20 cases a disease of the bile duct system, in 4 both an acute pancreatitis and a bile duct disease, while the other patients showed no inflammatory or neoplastic diseases of the pancreas or the bile ducts. The relative wall thickness of the duct increases with growing distance from the papilla, while the real thickness of the wall decreases. The inner and outer diameter of the duct steadily rises with aging. The relative thickness decreases with aging, but in a considerable less degree. The length of the duct growths with aging. All these relations were expressed in mathematical equations. In acute pancreatitis, in mild chronic pancreatitis and in disease of the bile duct system no statistically significant differences of the outer and inner diameter, of the length and the relatative thickness of the wall were found in comparison to normal pancreata.