Major duodenal papilla

Looks like

A small nipple on the inner wall of the second part of the duodenum, where the common bile duct and main pancreatic duct open together through the sphincter of Oddi.

What it does

Lets bile and pancreatic juice into the gut in step with meals.

Keeping it well

A gallstone stuck here causes jaundice and can trigger pancreatitis. Doctors pass a camera to it (ERCP) to cut it open, remove stones or place stents. Tumours here (ampullary cancer) cause jaundice early, so are often found in time.

Related conditions

• Acute mesenteric ischaemia (gut stroke)
• Bowel obstruction
• Coeliac disease
• Crohn's disease
• Food poisoning
• Functional dyspepsia (indigestion)
• Gallstones
• Gastroenteritis
• Giardiasis
• Intestinal worms & schistosomiasis
• Intussusception & pyloric stenosis
• Iron deficiency
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Lactose & food intolerance
• Malnutrition & refeeding syndrome
• Necrotising enterocolitis
• Pancreatic cancer
• Pancreatitis
• Peptic ulcer disease
• Radiation injury
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Typhoid & cholera
• Volvulus (twisted bowel)