Abstract
The pancreas is considered a secondary extraperitoneal organ. During embryologic development, the body and tail of the pancreas are suspended in the peritoneal cavity in the dorsal mesoduodenum and the head in the ventral mesoduodenum. After rotation of the foregut, outpouching of the dorsal mesogastrium, and migration of the midgut, the posterior leaf of the dorsal mesogastrium fuses with the mesentery that attaches to the migrated midgut to form the transverse mesocolon over the pancreas, resulting in the fixation of the pancreas to the extraperitoneum. Because of this development, the pancreas can be connected to organs above the transverse mesocolon, the small and large bowel below the transverse mesocolon, and the extraperitoneal organs. In this chapter, we review developmental anatomy of the pancreas and its ligamentous attachment, and the potential pathways for disease of the pancreas to disseminate.
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Meyers, M.A., Charnsangavej, C., Oliphant, M. (2010). Patterns of Spread of Disease from the Pancreas. In: Meyers' Dynamic Radiology of the Abdomen. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-5939-3_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-5939-3_10
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