Misplaced pancreatic duct orifice as a cause of recurrent acute pancreatitis

Acute recurrent pancreatitis in the absence of alcoholism and gallstones is a frustrating illness for both the patient and the physician. Over a 10 year period, 33 patients were operated on and found to have a duct of Wirsung entering the duodenum through the fibers of the sphincter of Oddi. Recurrent pancreatitis of sufficient intensity to require hospitalization had occurred an average of 4.2 times per patient, and each had experienced numerous episodes of abdominal pain of lesser severity. At least two attacks of pancreatitis that required hospitalization had occurred in all patients. All known causes of pancreatitis, including alcoholism, gallstones, hypercalcemia, hyperlipidemia, drug reactions, and pancreas divisum were excluded. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography showed no ductal abnormalities. Twenty-eight of the patients had previously undergone cholecystectomy 8 months to 20 years before operation. A sphinteroplasty of the common bile duct and duct of Wirsung resulted in elimination of attacks of pancreatitis in all except two patients. Follow-up has been more than 5 years in 16 patients, more than 4 years in 10 patients, and more than 1 year in 5 patients. There have been no deaths. It appears that the entrance of the duct of Wirsung into the duodenum through a separate orifice through the fibers of the sphincter of Oddi causes recurrent acute pancreatitis. It seems likely that the problem is one of intermittent pancreatic duct obstruction. Normal pancreatic duct caliber is attributed to the intermittent nature of the obstruction. Enlargement of the orifice of the duct of Wirsung and division of the sphincter of Oddi relieved attacks of recurrent pancreatitis.