Category:Pancreas - Developmental Pathology

Pancreatic hypoplasia

Image of pancreatic hypoplasia in a dog from Cornell Veterinary Medicine

• Occurs in calves, dogs (German Shepherd Dogs are the prevalent breed) and cats
• Endocrine part of the pancreas seems unaffected

Clinical signs

• Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
• Occurs at about one year of age
• Onset often preceded by another illness

Gross appearance

• Pot-bellied appearance on external view
• Intestines are distended by bulky fatty ingesta
• Lack of fat in the mesentery and rest of the abdomen
• The pancreas appears extremely thin and almost lace-like, is sparse and pink, easily visible due to lack of fat
• The hypoplastic pancreas may be inconspicuous at laparotomy or post mortem examination owing to its small size

Microscopic appearance

• Tiny lobules with glandular cells, some appear to be undergoing regression, hence the alternative view that the pancreas is normal at birth but undergoes progressive regression - juvenile atrophy
• Hypoplastic parenchymal cells do not usually contain lipofuscin, which can be seen in atrophic cells

Ductal abnormalities

• Congenital stenosis
• Cystic dilation
  • Image of chronic pancreatitis with cystic ducts in a horse from Cornell Veterinary Medicine
  • Occurs mostly in cats and occasionally in lambs
  • The cystic nature of the ducts can be accompanied by cysts in liver and kidneys - polycystic

Ectopic pancreatic tissue

Image of ectopic pancreas on duodenum of a dog from Cornell Veterinary Medicine

• Sometimes small pieces of pancreatic tissue are seen in diverse places like the submucosa and muscle of nearby alimentary tract, liver, gall bladder, spleen and mesentery
• Occurs in dog and cat

Pancreatic calculi

Image of pancreatic calculi and fibrosis in a cow from Cornell Veterinary Medicine

• Pancreolithiasis occurs uncommonly in cattle, rarely in other species
• Slightly more common in cattle >4 years old
• Usually an incidental finding
• Usually calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate
• May be a consequence of inflammation, such as caused by flukes

Stromal fat cell infiltration

• Occurs occasionally
• Fat cell infiltration into interstitial tisue
• Function of the pancreas is unaffected
• Especially in obese cats and pigs