Figure 1.

Illustration of the normal development of the pancreas. (A, B) Dorsal pancreatic bud develops from dorsal outpouching and ventral pancreatic bud is derived from the ventral outpouching. Liver, gallbladder, and bile duct also arise from the ventral outpouching. (C, D) As duodenum rotates, ventral pancreas moves behind duodenum. Dorsal pancreas becomes the upper part of head, body, and tail portion of the pancreas. In contrast, uncinate process and the lower part of head arise from the ventral pancreas. Finally, dorsal and ventral pancreatic ducts fuse. The ventral pancreatic duct becomes major duct (duct of Wirsung), which opens to the major papilla with the common bile duct. The small dorsal pancreatic duct (duct of Santorini) drains through the minor papilla.

DPB dorsal pancreatic bud, VPB ventral pancreatic bud, GB gallbladder.