Pseudocyst
Images
Pancreatic
Pseudocysts
  
Pancreatic
pseudocyst in an ERCP-examination
Acute
or chronic pancreatitis (or pancreatic trauma) can cause a pseudocyst,
as demonstrated in this xray picture from an ERCP-examination, where
the pseudocyst is located to the left in the picture below the duodenoscope.
Three pancreatic pseudocysts seen in a CT-scan.
The
pseudocyst is caused by autodigestion of the pancreas, and there is
now epithelial lining.
 
A pancreatic pseudocyst due to an alcohol-induced pancreatitis
seen in ultrasound
Most
often, these pseudocysts develop in two weeks after the onset of an
acute pancreatitis, and they may resolve spontaneously. They contain
fluid, blood, pancreatic enzymes and debris, and may be complicated
by infection, converting the pseudocyst into an abscess.
  
Impression caused by a pancreatic pseudocyst in the gastric smaller
curvature seen by a videoendoscope.
Pancreatic
pseudocysts can resolve by conservative means. If surgery is needed
- because of enlarging pseudocysts causing obstructive jaundice and
intensive pain - the cyst can be drained into the stomach or into the
duodenum.
Ascites and splenic bleeding caused by a pancreatic pseudocyst.
Complications
due to pancreatic pseudocysts are several: the pseudocyst can rupture,
it can cause obstruction of the common bile duct, it can be infected
and form an abscess, and involvment of the spleen directly or by splenic
vein thrombosis can cause spenic haemorrhage. In the CT-scan above to
complications are seen, ascites and a clearly pathological spleen, the
finding is due to an intrasplenic haemorrhage.
Another common complication to pancreatitis and pancreatic pseudocysts:
pleural effusion to the left.
For
more information and pictures on this check out http://www.gastrolab.net/
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