The Duodenum It is the first portion of the small intestine and covers the first 30 cm of it, it originates from the pylorus, which is the sphincter that controls the exit of the stomach and continues with the jejunum.
The duodenum is arranged in the shape of a horseshoe that hugs the head of the pancreas, it remains attached to the posterior wall of the abdomen, located behind the peritoneum, this arrangement gives rise to four portions called first portion, second portion, third portion and fourth portion of the duodenum.
Functions of the Duodenum
This segment of intestine has a series of folds in its inner layer or mucosa that give rise to villi whose function is to carry out the absorption of nutrients from food during digestion. It also contains structures called Brunner's glands that produce alkaline mucus that helps protect itself from the acid content that reaches it from the stomach.
At the level of the second Procyon of the Duodenum, two important structures flow
The Choledocus.
This duct has the function of allowing the passage of bile that is produced in the liver and accumulates in the gallbladder towards the intestine, bile is necessary for the process of digestion of fats, the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K, give its characteristic color to the stool, in addition to allowing the elimination of waste and substances metabolized by the liver.
The Wirsung duct.
It is the conduit that carries secretions from the pancreas to the intestine, especially pancreatic enzymes such as amylases, lipases and trypsinogens that are necessary to carry out the digestion of carbohydrates, fats and proteins respectively.
Main affections of the Duodenum
This portion of the intestine can be the seat of various types of diseases, however, among the frequent ones are:
Duodenal ulcer.
The duodenum can be affected by the acid secretion of the stomach which burns and erodes its surface until causing an ulcer, this is accompanied by pain especially after eating, nausea, vomiting and sometimes by stools with blood product of the bleeding with exit of blood to the intestine.
Giardiasis
Giardiasis is an infection caused by the parasite Giardia lamblia, this microorganism is capable of adhering to the villi of the duodenum preventing intestinal absorption processes from taking place, which leads to diarrhea and a failure in the absorption of nutrients that can cause anemia and weight loss.
Tumors The duodenum can also be the seat of primary tumors or be affected by the infiltration of neighboring tumors, especially pancreatic head cancer.
