The Common Vein Copyright 2007

The Neck of the Pancreas

The neck is about 2-2.5cms cm long, and projects forwards, upwards, and to the left from the head, merging impercebtibly into the body.
The rightward limit of the neck anteriorly is defined by a groove for the gastroduodenal artery. The neck is grooved posteriorly by the superior mesenteric vessels. Its anterior surface is covered with peritoneum and is adjacent to the pylorus of the stomach.
The superior mesenteric vein joins the splenic vein to form the portal vein posterior to the neck of the pancreas. The gland is first is directed upward and forward, and then upward and to the left to join the body; it is flattened from above downward and backward.

The neck of the pancreas is at special risk following blunt abdominal injury.

This series of CT images shows the neck of the pancreas (light pink) limited on the right by the gastroduodenal artery, (red) lying inf front of the SMV.  Its left side has no clearly defined border but at the junction of neck and body there is sometimes a protuberance called the tuber omentale which is seen in this case outlined in solid pink in image d.  The lesser omentum (yellow) is in contact with the tuber omentale.  The pancreatic duct is well seen and normal in this case (dark pink) 38025c003 Courtesy Ashley Davidoff MD