Santorinicele as a cause of chronic pancreatic pain.

The role pancreas divisum plays in recurrent pancreatitis and chronic pancreatic pain remains controversial. When pancreatic disease does occur secondary to pancreas divisum, the pathogenesis is thought to be stenosis of the accessory duct with a resulting increase in ductal pressure. A case is reported in which stenosis of the accessory papilla orifice is thought to be responsible for cystic dilatation of the terminal portion of the duct of Santorini in a patient with pancreas divisum. This resulted in chronic pancreatic pain that resolved after sphincterotomy of the accessory papilla.