Groove pancreatitis and pancreatic heterotopia in the minor duodenal papilla

Groove pancreatitis is a rare form of segmental chronic pancreatitis that involves the anatomic space between the head of the pancreas, the duodenum, and the common bile duct. We report 2 cases of groove pancreatitis with pancreatic heterotopia in the minor papilla. Patients were a 44-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man. Both had a past history of alcohol consumption and presented with abdominal pain, vomiting, and weight loss caused by duodenal stenosis. Abdominal computed tomography revealed thickening of the duodenal wall and enlargement of the pancreatic head in both patients. In 1 patient, ultrasound endoscopy showed a dilated duct in the head of the pancreas. Pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed to rule out pancreatic adenocarcinoma and because of the severity of the symptoms. In both cases, gross and microscopic examinations showed fibrous scar of the groove area. The Santorini duct was dilated and contained protein plugs in both patients, with abscesses in 1 of them. In both cases, there were microscopic foci of heterotopic pancreas with mild fibrosis in the wall of the minor papilla. Groove pancreatitis is often diagnosed in middle-aged alcoholic men presenting with clinical symptoms caused by duodenal stenosis. The pathogenesis of this rare entity could be because of disturbance of the pancreatic secretion through the minor papilla. Pancreatitis in heterotopic pancreas located in the minor papilla and chronic consumption of alcohol seem to be important pathogenic factors.