Firstly, Location of pancreas.

The pancreas is an oblong-shaped organ positioned at the

level of the transpyloric plane (L1). With the exception of the tail of the pancreas, it is
a retroperitoneal organ, located deep within the upper abdomen in the epigastrium
and left hypochondrium regions.

There are 4 parts of the pancreas. Firstly the

 Head - The head is the widest part of the pancreas. The head of the pancreas is
found in the right side of abdomen, nestled in the curve of the duodenum (first part of
the small intestine).
 Neck - The neck is the thin section of the gland between the head and the body of
the pancreas.
 Body - The body is the middle part of the pancreas between the neck and the tail.
The superior mesenteric artery and vein run behind this part of the pancreas.
 Tail - The tail is the thin tip of the pancreas in the left side of the abdomen, in close
proximity to the spleen.

Next let’s discuss the gross clinical relevance

 Pancreatitis: primary or may be due to gallstones in the common bile duct. cause
inflammatory aneurysm of the artery and/or thrombosis of the vein.
 Annular Pancreas is a morphological anomaly that results in pancreatic tissue
completely or incompletely encircling the duodenum causing duodenal obstruction
 Pancreatic cancer: Pancreatic carcinomas, which are mostly adenocarcinomas,
arise from the exocrine part of the organ. Because of the anatomical position of
the pancreas, adjacent anatomical sites may be directly involved (duodenum,
stomach, liver, colon, spleen)