Pseudocyst: causes, symptoms, and treatment & bull; hello healthy

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Definition

What are pseudocysts?

A pseudocyst is a defect that appears as a cyst on examination scan . However, these cysts lack epithelial and endothelial cells. This condition can form in several places, such as the pancreas, stomach, adrenal glands, and eyes. Acute pancreatic pseudocysts form from pancreatic fluid with a wall of fibrous tissue or granulation.

Pseudocysts are similar to cysts. Initial treatment includes general supportive care. Symptoms and complications caused by these cysts usually require surgery.

Computed tomography (CT) scans are used to view the initial cyst image and endoscopic ultrasound is used to differentiate cysts from pseudocysts. Endoscopic drainage is also a popular method that is effective in treating this condition.

How common is this condition?

Pancreatic pseudocysts are often caused by acute or chronic pancreatitis. This condition can also arise from trauma to the abdomen, with a higher incidence rate in children. This condition is more common in patients with chronic pancreatitis than in patients with acute pancreatitis.

In addition, if the pancreatitis is also triggered by alcohol, the risk of developing this condition may increase. These types of cysts induced by alcohol account for 59 to 78 percent of all cases. The cases of these cysts that affect the pancreas are actually quite small, about 1.6 to 4.5 percent or 0.5 to one person in 100,000 adults per year.

Several types of adrenal cysts are parasitic cysts, epithelial cysts, endothelial cysts, including pseudocysts. As many as 56% of all adrenal cysts are pseudocysts, 7% of which have the potential to become malignant cysts.

This condition can be treated by reducing risk factors. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Signs and Symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of a pseudocyst?

This condition often does not cause any symptoms. Symptoms are more commonly found in cysts of this type that are large, although the size and duration of the cysts are usually not used as a benchmark to predict possible complications.

A patient with this type of cyst in the pancreas may experience stomach pain, nausea and vomiting, a feeling of lingering, eating disorders, or digestive problems. These cysts can also become infected, rupture, or block the intestinal tract. Although rare, these types of cysts that become infected may cause jaundice or blood poisoning.

Mediastinal pseudocysts, a rare form of pancreatic pseudocysts in the stomach, can make it difficult to swallow, have difficulty breathing, obstructed airways, or cardiac tamponade (impaired the heart's function of pumping blood around the body).

These cysts located in the kidneys (adrenals) can cause abdominal pain, accompanied by various symptoms in the digestive tract such as nausea, vomiting, and constipation (difficulty defecating).

When should I see a doctor?

Early diagnosis and treatment can stop this condition from getting worse and prevent other medical emergencies, so talk to your doctor right away to prevent serious conditions.

If you have any signs or symptoms above or any other questions, please consult your doctor. Everyone's body is different. Always consult a doctor to treat your health condition.

Cause

What causes this condition to occur?

Like other cysts, the cause of this type of cyst is unknown. Some cysts are associated with rare diseases, including von Hippel-Lindau disease, which is a genetic disorder that affects the pancreas and other organs. Pseudocysts are often accompanied by a painful sensation in which digestive enzymes become overactive, irritating the pancreas (pancreatitis). This condition can also be caused by an abdominal injury, for example from a car accident.

Triggers

What makes me more at risk for this disease?

Excessive alcohol consumption and gallstones are trigger factors for pancreatitis, while pancreatitis is a trigger factor for pseudocysts. Abdominal injury is also one of the trigger factors.

Diagnosis and Treatment

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

How is this disease diagnosed?

Pancreatic pseudocyst

The most common and effective method for diagnosing this type of cyst when it attacks the pancreas is through a CT scan. These cysts will usually appear as a fluid-filled mass.

However, sometimes other methods are needed to distinguish normal cysts from pseudocysts. For example, with endoscopic ultrasound or fine needle aspiration. Transabdominal ultrasound can be used to detect this condition.

Cysts tend to be round in shape and stick to smooth walls. Meanwhile, pseudocysts look more complicated when they are new, bleeding occurs, or when complications are due to infection.

To identify this disease, a CT scan will provide more accurate and detailed results. However, the disadvantage is that this procedure cannot differentiate between pseudocysts and cystic neoplasms. In addition, special substances given before starting the CT scan procedure also put the kidneys at risk.

Apart from CT scan, MRI and MRCP are also effective methods of detecting this condition, but they are rarely used because CT scans offer more information. Endoscopic ultrasound is also often used as an additional test to further evaluate the cysts that have been found. Endoscopic ultrasound can also determine whether the cyst is a pseudocyst or not.

Adrenal pseudocyst

The detection of this type of pseudocyst is the same as the previous one, using a CT scan. In addition, adrenalectomy can also be used to diagnose damage and sometimes relieve pain.

How are these types of cysts treated?

Not all cysts require treatment. Most cysts of this type that occur in the pancreas get better and go away on their own. If the cyst is small and causes no symptoms, periodic obvervation and CT scans are usually performed.

Pseudocysts that persist for months or cause symptoms require treatment.

• Supportive medical care is used to help remove small cysts. Including using intravenous fluids containing pain relievers.
• Surgery is usually needed for patients who have this type of cyst with symptoms and complications. There are three main methods of draining pancreatic pseudocysts: endoscopic drainage, percutaneous catheter drainage, or open surgery. Endoscopic drainage is the preferred method because it does not require surgery and has a high chance of success.
  

Prevention

What can I do to prevent pseudocysts?

Because these cysts are also closely related to other conditions, such as pancreatitis and alcohol consumption, prevention of pseudocysts is done by preventing the source of the problem. Therefore, avoiding alcohol consumption is highly recommended.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.

Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.