Dorsal pancreas agenesis: computed tomography appearance with three-dimensional volume rendering reconstruction.

We report a case of a very rare congenital variant consisting in a dorsal (or left) pancreas agenesis due to the lack of development of the dorsal embryonic bud of the gland. This variant is characterized using helical computed tomography (CT). Three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography reconstruction, especially using the volume rendering technique, is very helpful for assessing this entity, which it is important to recognize due to its potential clinical implication (diabetes mellitus). Associated variants of abdominal vessels were also clearly seen in our patient with this technique, including a hepatomesenteric trunk and left retro-aortic renal vein.