RECENT years have witnessed a great revival of interest in chronic pancreatitis. Clarification of its clinical findings and natural course * has led to renewed interest in surgical treatment and reevaluation of current techniques available for the management of this challenging condition.† Inasmuch as experimental studies ‡ have emphasized the importance of ductal obstruction in the pathogenesis of pancreatitis, it was thought that a thorough study of the incidence and extent of dilatation of the pancreatic ducts would be of value in determining the type of surgical procedures to be used in the treatment of this disease. We desired particularly to determine whether it was feasible to accomplish retrograde decompression of the system of pancreatic ducts by resection of a portion of the tail of the pancreas and anastomosis of the gland to the small intestine or stomach. Although many data are available regarding the anatomy and pathology of the duct