The pancreas is a common digestive gland in the abdomen that contains a variety of digestive enzymes and is located in the left upper abdomen.
The pancreas is a long, narrow, soft, grayish-red gland usually located in the left upper abdomen, i.e., the supra-abdominal region and the left quaternary rib region, transverse to the anterior aspect of the 1st and 2nd lumbar vertebrae, and in close proximity to the posterior abdominal wall.
The pancreas is bordered anteriorly by the omental sac and the stomach; posteriorly by the common bile duct, the inferior vena cava, the liver, the hepatic portal vein, the abdominal aorta, and other important structures; to the right of the pancreas is the duodenum; and to the far left is the splenic hilum.
The pancreas is located deeper and is covered anteriorly by the stomach, transverse colon, and greater omentum. If there is a lesion in the pancreas, its early abdominal wall features are usually not obvious and the diagnosis is more difficult, and it is usually detected only when the condition is serious.