The Pancreas

These flashcards cover key concepts and details about the anatomy, functions, and pathology of the pancreas.

The pancreas lies anterior to the first and second __ bodies.

lumbar

Major posterior vascular landmarks of the pancreas are the __ and inferior vena cava.

aorta

The stomach is anterior to the body and __ of the gland.

tail

The major portions of the pancreas include the head, __, body, and tail.

neck

The Duct of __ is the primary duct that extends the entire length of the gland.

Wirsung

Normal pancreatic measurements: head

2.0 cm

Pancreatitis may be classified as acute or __ .

chronic

The most common complication of a pancreatic pseudocyst is __ rupture.

spontaneous

Intravenous glucose provides immediate relief of symptoms in patients with __ .

Insulinoma

Gastrinoma leads to excessive secretion of __ and pepsin.

gastrin

The pancreas lies anterior to the first and second __ bodies.

lumbar

Major posterior vascular landmarks of the pancreas are the __ and inferior vena cava.

aorta

The stomach is anterior to the body and __ of the gland.

tail

The major portions of the pancreas include the head, __, body, and tail.

neck

The Duct of __ is the primary duct that extends the entire length of the gland.

Wirsung

Normal pancreatic measurements: head <3 cm; neck <2.5 body tail < 2.0 cm__ .

2.0 cm

Pancreatitis may be classified as acute or __ .

chronic

The most common complication of a pancreatic pseudocyst is __ rupture.

spontaneous

Intravenous glucose provides immediate relief of symptoms in patients with __ .

Insulinoma

Gastrinoma leads to excessive secretion of __ and pepsin.

gastrin

The pancreas has both exocrine and __ functions.

endocrine

The exocrine function of the pancreas involves the production of digestive __ .

enzymes

The endocrine function of the pancreas is primarily to regulate blood sugar through the production of __ .

hormones

__ is a hormone produced by the pancreas that lowers blood glucose levels.

Insulin

The accessory pancreatic duct is known as the Duct of __ .

Santorini

The normal diameter of the main pancreatic duct (Duct of Wirsung) should not exceed __ in the head or body.

2 mm

Sonographic findings of acute pancreatitis typically include an enlarged, relatively __ gland with indistinct borders.

hypoechoic

In chronic pancreatitis, the pancreas may appear smaller and more __, often with calcifications and ductal dilation.

hyperechoic

A pancreatic pseudocyst on ultrasound typically presents as an anechoic mass with well-defined walls and posterior __.

enhancement

A common clinical finding of acute pancreatitis is severe epigastric pain radiating to the __, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

back

Clinical symptoms of chronic pancreatitis often include recurrent epigastric pain, weight loss, and __ due to malabsorption.

steatorrhea

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma often presents clinically with painless __ (jaundice) in the head of the pancreas due to bile duct obstruction.

yellowing