Biliary-pancreatic-duodenal junction: the forgotten corner of present day surgery        HUANG Zhi-qiang. Research Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of PLA, the General Hospital of PLA, Beijing 100853, China
Abstract    Junction of the bile duct and the pancreatic duct to the duodenum is a delicate construction in the human body. It is regulated by the combined harmonic action of anatomical configuration, sphincteric action as well as the hormonal regulation and nervous control. Diseases in the location may either be manifested as obstruction or as insufficiency of the sphincter function. Endoscopic manipulation such as sphincterotomy or balloonic dilatation of the sphincter is still the most frequently employed procedure. Surgery in attempt to reconstruct a new and functionally competent junction has been carried on for nearly a century, but still far from success.