Pancreatic Cysts
- The pancreas is one of the most important organs inside the body.
- Located behind the stomach, the pancreas creates several important hormones and digestive enzymes, with the production of insulin being one of its key functions.
- Pancreatic cysts are small fluid pockets that form in or on the organ.
- Due to their minimal symptoms, pancreatic cysts are often difficult to diagnose.
- They are often found by chance while a routine image scan of the abdomen.
- Although most pancreatic cysts do not become cancerous, there is a chance that they can, and they must be removed.
Let’s look at everything related to pancreatic cysts:
Causes
The primary cause behind pancreatic cysts is still unknown, but several risk factors have been identified. They include:
- Pancreatitis, which is caused by digestive enzymes becoming active inside the pancreas and causing irritation. Cysts formed by this do not end up turning malignant usually.
- Abdominal injuries can result in trauma and cause cysts to develop on the pancreas.
- Von Hippel-Lindau disease is a genetic disorder that affects the pancreas’ activity and causes cysts to develop.
- Heavy alcohol use can cause damage to the pancreas and cause pancreatitis.
- Gallstones can cause pancreatitis as well.
There are two types of pancreatic cysts, which vary according to the kind of fluid they hold inside. Serous cysts hold thin fluid while mucinous cysts have thicker fluid. Factors such as age, sex, and cause of the cyst determine which type will develop.
Symptoms
The symptoms of pancreatic cysts are usually mild and unnoticeable.
- In instances when they do become noticeable, you are likely to face persistent abdominal pain, frequent nausea, vomiting, and the feeling of a mass in your abdomen.
- You must consult a doctor immediately if these symptoms are combined with a fever, as that would indicate a pancreatic cyst infection.
- A complication that can develop from pancreatic cysts is a ruptured cyst or pseudocyst.
- The rupture can cause internal bleeding and infection.
- Get immediate help if you sense internal bleeding or symptoms of shock.
Symptoms of these include:
- Vomiting blood
- Severe pain in the abdomen
- Rapid or weak pulse
- Losing consciousness or feeling of fainting
- Diagnosis
- As mentioned, diagnosing a pancreatic cyst often happens by luck.
- You might be getting an image scan, such as a CT scan or an ultrasound, when the technician or doctor may notice the pancreatic cysts.
- There are no further tests necessary if they are found.
Treatment
- The only treatment for pancreatic cysts is their removal by surgery.
- You can live with them due to their minimal symptoms, but they pose a constant risk to your body.
- A benign cyst poses no harm, but you will have to keep a watchful eye on it.
- Another common treatment besides surgery is drainage of the cysts with an endoscope.
- You can decrease your chances of developing pancreatic cysts by decreasing your alcohol intake and removing the gall bladder.