The hepatopancreatic ampulla, also commonly called the Ampulla of Vater, is formed by the union of the pancreatic duct and the bile duct. The ampulla is specifically located at the major duodenal papilla. Various smooth muscle sphincters regulate the flow of bile and pancreatic juice through the ampulla: the sphincter of the pancreatic duct, the sphincter of the bile duct, and the hepatopancreatic sphincter (sphincter of Oddi). The sphincter of Oddi controls the introduction of bile and pancreatic secretions into the duodenum, as well as preventing the entry of duodenal contents into the Ampulla.

The eponymical term "Ampulla of Vater" is named after Abraham Vater (1684-1751), a German anatomist who first published a description of it in 1720.

Related disorders

• Pancreatitis can result from a failure of pancreatic secretions to drain properly. One possible cause of impaired drainage of pancreatic juice is blockage of the hepatopancreatic ampulla. A common culprit to cause blockage is a gallstone.

References

• "Ampulla, hepatopancreatic." Stedman's Medical Dictionary, 27th ed. (2000). ISBN 0-683-40007-X
• Moore, Keith L. and Arthur F. Dalley. Clinically Oriented Anatomy, 4th ed. (1999). ISBN 0-683-06141-0

External links

Abdomen | Digestive system

Brodawka Vatera