Pancreatic cyst: Meaning in a Radiology Report

Also written as: pancreatic cystic lesion, cystic lesion of the pancreas, cystic pancreatic lesion

A pancreatic cyst is a pocket of fluid in the pancreas. Most are small and found by chance, and many stay unchanged for years.

What it means

The pancreas is a gland behind the stomach that makes digestive juices and insulin. A cyst is a pocket of fluid inside it. There are several kinds. Many found by chance are small IPMNs (intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms), mucus-making growths linked to the gland's ducts. Others are serous cysts, which are almost always benign, or pseudocysts, which can form after inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).

When it matters

Pancreatic cysts become more common with age, and most small ones never cause problems. Some types can slowly turn into cancer over many years, though few do. So many cysts are checked with MRI at set intervals, spaced further apart if they stay stable. Doctors look more closely if a cyst grows, has a thick wall or a solid part, or widens the main pancreatic duct. Then an endoscopic ultrasound, sometimes with a fluid sample, may follow.

Questions to ask your doctor

What type of cyst does this look like, and how big is it?
How often should it be checked with MRI, and for how long?
Are there any worrisome features, such as a solid part or a widened duct?

General information, not medical advice. What a finding means for you depends on your symptoms, your history and the images themselves, so talk your results through with a doctor.