No Significant Correlation between Histologic Changes of the Papilla of Vater and Juxtapapillary Diverticulum: Special Reference to the Pathogenesis of Gallstones

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of histologic changes of the papilla of Vater in cases with a juxtapapillary diverticulum, with special reference to the pathogenesis of gallstones. Three hundred and sixty-two autopsy cases, mainly of aged people, were analyzed. The incidence of both diverticulum and gallstone increased with age. The presence of diverticulum was associated with a significant increase of gallstones (49% versus 20%; P > 0.01). Analysis by the type of gallstones showed a significantly higher incidence of bilirubinate in cases with juxtapapillary diverticula. Stones both in the gallbladder and in the extrahepatic bile ducts were more prevalent in cases with diverticula as compared with the cases without diverticula. No significant relationship was found between juxtapapillary diverticula and the degree of histologic changes in the papilla of Vater, such as inflammatory cellular infiltration, fibrous proliferation, glandular proliferation, or muscular hypertrophy and proliferation of the sphincter of Oddi. These facts imply that juxtapapillary diverticula are not involved in the formation of gallstones via histologic changes of the papilla of Vater, whereas diverticula may play an important role in the pathogenesis of gallstones, especially of bilirubin stones.

Key Words:

• Gallstones
• histologic changes of the papilla of Vater
• juxtapapillary diverticulum