A 32-year-old man arrives to the emergency room with a one-day history of severe abdominal discomfort, nausea, and vomiting. His agony is persistent and spreads all the way to his back. He admits to having "had a few drinks" with some buddies a few days earlier. Laboratory tests show that amylase and lipase levels are considerably high. An abdominal CT scan reveals pancreas divisum, a common congenital defect caused by the inability of the ventral and dorsal pancreatic primordia's pancreatic ductal networks to merge during development. The ventral pancreatic primordium gives rise to which of the following pancreatic structures?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: The dorsal pancreatic bud forms the majority of pancreatic tissue (body, tail, and most of the head).  The ventral pancreatic bud is a precursor of the uncinate process, inferior/posterior portion of the head, and major pancreatic duct (of Wirsung).  Failure of the dorsal and ventral pancreatic buds to fuse leads to pancreas divisum.  In this condition, the pancreatic ductal systems remain separate, with the accessory duct draining the majority of the pancreas.

A 32-Year-Old Man Arrives to the Emergency Room with a One-Day