Abstract
Diseases of the pancreas continue to be among the most mysterious and difficult of all human diseases to study. The pancreas is inaccessible to physical examination because of its retroperitoneal location, and remains invisible to standard radiographic examination because it lacks bony structure. Biopsies are also rarely done for fear of triggering acute pancreatitis, creating fistula, or initiating bleeding. These factors limited our understanding of pancreatic physiology and pathophysiology, limited early diagnosis, and precluded development of effective treatment for all major pancreatic diseases, until now.