RT Journal A1 Borghi F, Gattolin A, Garbossa D, Bogliatto F, Garavoglia M, Levi A T1 EMbryologic bases of extended radical resection in pancreatic cancer JF Archives of Surgery JO Archives of Surgery YR 1998 FD March 1 VO 133 IS 3 SP 297 OP 301 DO 10.1001/archsurg.133.3.297 UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.133.3.297 AB Objective  To analyze whether an embryologic "rationale" exists to the clinical and anatomicopathological data that suggest the execution of extended resections in patients with pancreatic cancer.Methods  Reconstruction of serial histological sections of 18 human embryos and fetuses regarding the pancreatic region; anatomical microdissections of two 9-month fetuses.Results  The ventral and dorsal pancreatic buds can be identified until the eighth week of development. A close developmental relationship between the dorsal pancreas and the lymphatic and nervous structures in the dorsal mesogastrium is observed. Other lymphatic stations are exclusively related to the ventral pancreas. The posterior fusion of the dorsal mesogastrium is a late event in embryologic development.Conclusions  The complete fusion of the 2 pancreatic buds occurs later than previously reported in the literature. The close embryologic relations of these buds with the lymphatic and nervous peripancreatic structures may support the need for extended resections in patients with pancreatic cancer.