Congenital Variants and Anomalies of the Pancreas and Pancreatic Duct: Imaging by Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreaticography and Multidetector Computed Tomography

Though congenital anomalies of the pancreas and pancreatic duct are relatively uncommon and they are often discovered as an incidental finding in asymptomatic patients, some of these anomalies may lead to various clinical symptoms such as recurrent abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Recognition of these anomalies is important because these anomalies may be a surgically correctable cause of recurrent pancreatitis or the cause of gastric outlet obstruction. An awareness of these anomalies may help in surgical planning and prevent inadvertent ductal injury. The purpose of this article is to review normal pancreatic embryology, the appearance of ductal anatomic variants and developmental anomalies of the pancreas, with emphasis on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreaticography and multidetector computed tomography.

Congenital Anomalies of the Aortic Arch: Evaluation with the Use of Multidetector Computed Tomography

Congenital anomalies of the aortic arch have clinical importance, as the anomalies may be associated with vascular rings or other congenital cardiovascular diseases. Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) angiography enables one to display the detailed anatomy of vascular structures and the spatial relationships with adjacent organs; this ability is the greatest advantage of the use of MDCT angiography in comparison to other imaging modalities in the evaluation of the congenital anomalies of the aortic arch. In this review article, we illustrate 16-slice MDCT angiography appearances of congenital anomalies of the aortic arch.