Pancreas

Pancreas – the large closed and digestive gland located behind a stomach, at the level of upper chest and lower lumbar vertebrae. The pancreas weighs 70-80 g, length of its 10-23 cm, width around a head – 3-9 cm, thickness - 2-3 cm.

Pancreas structure

This body consists of three main departments: heads with an ankyroid shoot, a body and a tail – the narrowest part of gland. Between a body and a head the narrowed part of gland – a neck is located.

Gland head having the hammer form is placed in a duodenum arch. Behind a head there pass blood vessels.

Gland body the back surface adjoins to a left kidney, retroperitoneal cellulose and an adrenal gland, bending around a backbone at the level of the first or second vertebrae of lumbar department.

Pancreas tail usually narrow, a little rounded off and raised up. In the place of contact of a tail with a greater cul-de-sac there is a small deepening.

In the thickness of gland (from a head to a tail) there passes the channel falling into a duodenum.

The structure of this body allocates two types of fabric - a parenchyma (ferruterous fabric) and a stroma (connecting fabric). The parenchyma of gland is presented by numerous segments of irregular shape, and also the cellular sites having rounded shape (islets of Langerhans). Ferruterous (secretory) cells of segments produce pancreatic (pancreatic) juice. The most important food enzymes – trypsin, a lipase, amylase are a part of this secret. Insular cells synthesize hormones (a glucagon and insulin).

Functions of a pancreas

This gland, being body external and incretion, performs at the same time exocrine and endocrine functions.

The pancreas takes part in digestion process. The site of gland participating in digestion through the main channel produces pancreatic juice directly in a duodenum. The exocrine site of gland cosecretes at the person for days 0,5-0,7 l of a gastric juice.

Effect of islets of Langerhans is similar to action of closed glands. They emit in a blood stream insulin and a glucagon - the hormones regulating carbohydrate metabolism. Insulin has anabolic effect. Besides, it promotes education by lipocytes and hepatocytes of triglycerides from fatty acids. Similar action also the glucagon possesses, however it at the same time stimulates oxidation of triglycerides in hepatocytes, promoting formation of ketonic bodies. Constant level of glucose in blood within 800-1000 mg/l is regulated by a glucagon and insulin.

Pancreas diseases

The inflammation of a pancreas can result from an alcohol abuse, spicy, fried and greasy food. Frequent stresses and an overeating can also be the inflammation reasons.

The inflammation of a pancreas can proceed both in acute, and in a chronic form (chronic and acute pancreatitis).

The inflammation in a chronic form quite often develops into very dangerous diseases of a pancreas – a cyst, tuberculosis, abscess, a diabetes mellitus, a pancreatic cancer.

The pancreas inflammation sometimes is a consequence of various infectious diseases, parasitic invasions, kolleganovy diseases, metabolism diseases. Diseases of language, gums increase risk of development of a pancreatic cancer.

Appetite loss, emergence of red spots on skin of a breast, a stomach, a back, sharp decrease or fervescence, vomiting, nausea, a xeroderma, fragility of hair and nails, an eructation belong to clinical displays of diseases of a pancreas.

Treatment of a pancreas

During remission, and also during recovery (after the previous aggravations) it is very important to keep to a diet for prevention of a recurrence and treatment of a pancreas.

In addition to a diet to the patient usually appoint drug treatment of a pancreas: the medicines which are reducing fermental activity, removing a spasm of unstriated muscles of channels of gland, and also calming and anesthetizing drugs.

Benign tumors (fibromas, adenomas, lipomas) most often delete in the surgical way. A pancreatic cancer also treat by surgical methods with the subsequent carrying out chemotherapy and postoperative radiation.

Distinguish palliative and radical operations. Carry a resection of a tail and body of gland, pankreatoduodenalny resections, a total pancreatoduodenectomy to radical operations. Palliative operations are carried out for improvement of quality of life of patients and are directed to elimination of mechanical jaundice, a pain syndrome, impassability of a duodenum.