[Internal topography of the greater duodenal papilla in cholecystitis and pancreatitis].

Comparative examination of the material obtained from 133 cadavers of patients dying after operations for chronic pancreatitis, pancreonecrosis, and cholecystitis as well as dying suddenly with other diseases (control) was carried out. Stereoscopic microscopy was used to study the internal relief of the mucous membrane of the ampulla and ducts of the major duodenal papilla (MDP), and their step-wise histological examination was performed. From 1 to 10 valves were found in 98% of the control cases. Inflammatory diseases of the gall bladder and pancreas were found to be accompanied by morphological changes in the valve apparatus of MDP. In acute cholecystitis and pancreatitis, edema of the valves and their inflammatory infiltration developed. Courvoisier's gallbladder and chronic recurrent pancreatitis with the duration of the disease up to 3 years resulted in hypertrophic changes in the valves. A disease of longer duration (from 3 to 7 years) was accompanied by deforming changes in the valves with possible subsequent complete atrophy of the valvular apparatus.