[Wirsung's duct and chronic pancreatitis. Changes in the morphology of the pancreatic ducts after pancreatic duct shunts. 23 cases followed-up].

The authors study in chronic pancreatitis the morphology of Wirsung's duct in 31 patients who had undergone repeated operations, 23 of them were submitted in a first stage to an anastomosis between the pancreatic duct and the digestive tract. The main causes of failure were obstructions of the anastomosis, biliary complications and continuation of the pancreatic disease. The difference in prognosis between pancreatitis with a dilated pancreatic duct, and those with a filiform duct, is perhaps due to lesions of different histological appearance and course. The best results were obtained in patients able to give up alcohol and in whom it was possible to carry out a broader anastomosis on a dilated and unobstructed pancreatic duct.