Minor duodenal papilla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Minor duodenal papilla |
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| Latin | papilla duodeni minor |
The minor duodenal papilla is a small opening inside your duodenum. The duodenum is the first part of your small intestine, right after your stomach. This little opening is where a tube called the accessory pancreatic duct usually empties its contents.
Contents
What is the Minor Duodenal Papilla?
The minor duodenal papilla is found in the second part of your duodenum. It's usually about 2 centimeters (less than an inch) away from another, larger opening called the major duodenal papilla. It's also about 5 to 8 centimeters (2 to 3 inches) from the opening of your stomach into the small intestine, which is called the pylorus.
How It Can Be Different
Sometimes, the minor duodenal papilla might not have a working valve (called a sphincter) or a clear tube (duct) connected to it. When it does have a working valve, it's known as the sphincter of Helly. The tube connected to it is called the accessory pancreatic duct of Santorini.
For about 10% of people, this minor papilla is the main way their pancreas drains important fluids. But for others, it might not even be there at all! If there's pain in this area, you might feel it in the upper middle part of your belly.
Its Job in Your Body
The duct connected to the minor duodenal papilla is a leftover part from when you were developing inside your mother. However, for a small number of people, it still helps drain fluids from the pancreas. This structure is also found in many animals like dogs, cats, and horses. For pigs and cows, it's actually the only way their pancreas drains fluids.
How It Develops
The minor duodenal papilla is what's left of the opening for the accessory pancreatic duct. This duct helps drain a part of the developing pancreas when a baby is growing inside the womb.
Why It Matters for Your Health
If the minor duodenal papilla is open and working, it can sometimes be linked to repeated pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is when your pancreas becomes inflamed and swollen. This can happen especially if a part of the pancreas (called the dorsal pancreatic bud) doesn't join correctly with another part (the ventral pancreatic bud). This condition is known as pancreatic divisum.
A Bit of History
The minor duodenal papilla is also known by another name: Santorini's minor caruncle. This name comes from the anatomist Giovanni Domenico Santorini.
