Anatomic relationship of insertion of the common bile duct into primary duodenal diverticula.

Examination of 96 postmortem specimens disclosed six diverticula of the second portion of the duodenum. In every instance, the common bile duct either emptied into, or immediately adjacent to, the diverticulum. The pancreatic duct was opacified twice; it was also intimately associated with the diverticulum on both occasions. This relationship is almost constant and should be considered in the management of patients with biliary and pancreatic disease who have primary duodenal diverticula.