Imaging of congenital pancreatic lesions: emphasis on key imaging features

Congenital pancreatic lesions are relatively uncommon, but they are frequently encountered during radiologic examination as an incidental finding in asymptomatic patients. However, some of these entities may produce symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and gastric outlet obstruction. This article reviews normal pancreatic anatomy, imaging findings of congenital pancreatic lesions, including congenital pancreatic anomalies, congenital pancreatic ductal variants, pancreatic contour variants, congenital pancreatic cysts, and mimics of pancreatic lesions with emphasis on key imaging features.