Pancreatic cyst Pancreatic cyst refers to a type of pancreatic and peripancreatic cystic lesion. The disease has various causes, including inflammation, trauma, and tumors. Most patients do not have clinical symptoms and are often incidentally discovered during physical examinations. The incidence of pancreatic cysts in asymptomatic individuals is approximately 2.4% to 13.5%, with an increasing prevalence with age.

Pancreatic cysts refer to a category of pancreatic and peripancreatic cystic lesions. The disease has various causes, including inflammation, trauma, and tumors. Most patients do not exhibit clinical symptoms and are often incidentally discovered during medical examinations. The incidence of pancreatic cysts in asymptomatic individuals is approximately 2.4% to 13.5%, and the occurrence rate increases with age.

Pancreatic cysts can be classified into non-neoplastic and neoplastic types.

Non-neoplastic Pancreatic Cysts

True cysts: Pancreatic true cysts are less common and are often congenital, frequently occurring as multiple cysts and may be associated with hepatic and renal cysts.

Pseudocysts: Typically caused by pancreatic inflammation or trauma. The cyst wall lacks epithelial cells and is therefore called a pseudocyst.

Neoplastic Pancreatic Cysts

Non-mucinous

Serous cystadenoma: Cysts contain serous fluid and often grow slowly, but they can enlarge enough to displace nearby organs, leading to abdominal pain and a feeling of fullness. Malignant transformation is rare.

Pancreatic solid pseudopapillary neoplasm: A rare type of potentially low-grade malignant tumor that can occur in various parts of the pancreas.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: A group of potentially malignant tumors with varying degrees of malignancy, most are solid, while a few present as cystic or mixed cystic-solid tumors.

Mucinous

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN): Mucinous tumors that grow within the main pancreatic duct or its branches. They have a tendency for malignant transformation, especially the main duct type IPMN, which has a high rate of malignancy.

Mucinous cystadenoma: Cysts contain mucinous fluid, and they have a high rate of malignant transformation.

Pseudocysts: Mainly caused by pancreatic trauma or inflammation, leading to the extravasation of blood and pancreatic fluid into the peripancreatic tissue, resulting in the formation of encapsulated cysts, or they may be caused by parasites (such as roundworms or hydatid cysts).

True cysts: Mostly congenital, but less common.

The etiology of neoplastic pancreatic cysts is not well understood and may be related to genetic inheritance.

Most pancreatic cysts are asymptomatic, often discovered incidentally during medical examinations or during imaging studies for other diseases. When pancreatic cysts cause related symptoms, caution is warranted.

Abdominal pain: The most common symptom, occurring in 69% of patients, which may radiate to the back.

Weight loss: The second most common symptom, occurring in 38% of patients.

Jaundice: Patients may present with yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes.

In addition, patients may also experience nausea, vomiting, palpable abdominal masses, and postprandial fullness, among other digestive system symptoms.

Diet

Pay attention to a balanced diet and avoid consuming high-fat and high-protein foods in large quantities for extended periods, such as red meat, fatty meat, and fried foods.

Other

Patients need to abstain from alcohol to avoid the harm caused by alcohol and its metabolites (especially acetaldehyde) to the body and reduce the risk of alcohol-induced pancreatitis. In addition, tobacco not only damages the respiratory system but also various tissues throughout the body, so quitting smoking is necessary.

Prevention of non-neoplastic cysts

Avoid overeating and excessive drinking, as well as alcohol consumption, which may cause blockage of pancreatic juice flow into the intestine, leading to reflux into the pancreas, causing pancreatitis and subsequent cyst formation.

Treatment of gallstones

As the common opening of the bile duct and the pancreatic duct is in the duodenum, gallstones may block both ducts, leading to pancreatitis. Therefore, actively treating gallstones can largely prevent this situation and avoid the occurrence of pancreatitis.

Neoplastic cysts

There are currently no effective preventive measures. High-risk individuals (those with a family history of pancreatic tumors) should undergo regular medical check-ups to enable early detection, diagnosis, and treatment.