Development of the human pancreas: variations and pathology. A tentative classification

The pathology of the pancreas is sometimes related to the embryological development of the organ. The first part of this paper is a presentation of the embryology, morphogenesis and cytogenesis of the pancreas. A tentative classification is then proposed to group together the lesions directly related to anomalies of the position and differentiation of the pancreatic buds. Pathological processes affecting the pancreas can be divided into those related to the ducts and those related to the parenchyma of the gland. In each case anomalies arising at a given stage of development lead to different diseases of the pancreas.