Anatomical variations of the pancreatic blood vessels in patients with diabetes/metabolic syndrome

Introduction: Diabetes is a major public health concern that affects millions of individuals worldwide, and given the increasing prevalence of this disease, there is a critical need to better understand its pathophysiology, which could lead to improved management strategies to mitigate its effects on society. The aim of this study was to investigate the vascular anatomy of the pancreas and classify the arterial variations of pancreatic blood flow, as well as to determine the correlation between these variations and the occurrence of diabetes and metabolic syndrome (MS). Methods: This study used multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) angiography to assess the vascular anatomy of the pancreas in a total of 100 participants. The variations were classified based on the origin and course of the pancreatic arteries, and the imaging data were recorded and analyzed. Results: The study identified three major types of arterial variations. The dorsal pancreatic artery (DPA) was observed to arise from the splenic artery (SPA), common hepatic artery (CHA), and superior mesenteric artery (SMA). The prevalence of arterial variations in the observed population (single-center study) in this research was found to be different from that reported in previous studies conducted on other populations. Specifically, the study found a higher incidence of DPA variations arising from the SPA (in 73% of the participants). The origin from the SMA was seen in 24% of patients and from the CHA in 3% of patients. The length, width, and other characteristics of the pancreatic arteries were also carefully documented. The study also found no significant correlation between arterial variations and the presence of diabetes mellitus or MS. One of the variations was found to display minor constriction but was not significant enough to be considered pathological. Conclusion: The study revealed the utility of MDCT imaging as a reliable tool for studying pancreatic arterial blood flow. This study contributed to the existing body of knowledge about the vascular anatomy of the pancreas and provided valuable insights for future research in this area.