About Pancreatic Cysts
Pancreatic cysts can have several causes, including:
- Von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL): A genetic disorder, meaning it’s caused by specific changes in a person’s DNA. DNA is a set of instructions that tells the body how to grow, function, and repair itself.
- Pancreatitis: Pancreas gets swollen, often because of gallstones (hard lumps that can block the tubes leading to the pancreas) or drinking too much alcohol.
- Abdominal trauma: Pancreatic cysts can also form after an injury to the stomach area, such as a car accident.
Non-modifiable risk factors for pancreatic cysts cannot be changed or controlled. These include:
- Genetic conditions: People with genetic conditions such as VHL have a higher chance of developing pancreatic cysts because of the genetic changes that are passed down from a parent to their child.
Modifiable risk factors for pancreatic cysts can be influenced or changed. These include:
- Excessive alcohol intake: Avoiding risk factors such as gallstones and drinking too much alcohol can help lower the risk of developing cysts.
- Healthy lifestyle choices: Keeping a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, quitting smoking, and drinking alcohol in small amounts may also decrease the risk.
Pancreatic cysts do not usually show many symptoms. However, in rare cases, they can cause the following early symptoms:
- Persistent abdominal pain: Long-lasting pain in the stomach area, often in the upper abdomen, which is the area just below your ribs
- Feeling of a mass in the upper abdomen: This can feel like a lump or fullness, which might be due to the size of the cyst.
- Vomiting or nausea
As pancreatic cysts grow or become more serious, additional symptoms may occur, including:
- Fever: A high body temperature, especially if you have lasting stomach pain, can be a sign of infection.
- Ruptured cyst or pseudocyst: When a cyst bursts, it can lead to heavy bleeding inside the body and an infection inside the abdomen.
- Signs of shock or internal bleeding:
- Severe abdominal pain
- Fainting: Passing out or blacking out, which can happen if blood pressure drops from bleeding
- Rapid or weak heartbeat: The heart may beat very fast or feel weak. This can happen when the body loses a lot of blood.
- Vomiting blood: Throwing up blood, which may look bright red or dark like coffee grounds, can be a sign of bleeding inside the body.
It's important to note these symptoms are not only caused by pancreatic cysts; other health conditions can cause them too. If you have any of these symptoms, it is recommended to seek medical help right away for the right diagnosis s and treatment.
To diagnose pancreatic cysts, the following exams, tests, and procedures are commonly performed:
- History and physical exam: A doctor will ask about your symptoms or factors that may be adding to your condition. They will do a physical exam to check for signs of pancreatic cysts, like pain in the upper stomach area, a lump, or a fever.
- Imaging: Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help find out what type of pancreatic cyst you have.
- Lab tests: Lab tests can give more information about your pancreatic cysts. A complete blood count (CBC) and comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) may be done to check your overall health and look for any signs of infection or inflammation.
To determine the stage or severity of pancreatic cysts, additional exams, tests, and procedures may be done:
- Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with or without biopsy: This procedure uses ultrasound to take detailed images of the pancreas and can also collect tissue samples for testing.
- Cyst fluid testing: Fluid from the cyst can be tested to learn more about what it’s made of and whether it might be cancerous.
It's important to note that these procedures should be discussed with a healthcare professional who can provide advice based on your situation.
The goals of treatment for pancreatic cysts are based on whether they are cancerous or not. The goals aim to:
- Find cysts with possible cancer risk
- Relieve symptoms and help patients live longer
- Prevent cancer from coming back and control pain
Treatment options for pancreatic cysts include:
- Chemotherapy: Drugs that kill or slow the growth of cancer cells
- Radiation: Powerful beams that target and destroy cancer cells
- Biliary stenting: A small tube placed in the bile duct to keep it open and help with digestion
- Gastroduodenal stenting: A small tube placed in the stomach or intestine to keep it open so food can pass through
- Analgesia: Medicines to relieve pain
- Celiac plexus block: An injection to block pain from a group of nerves in the abdomen
- Medicines to prevent blood clots: Cancer can raise the risk of blood clots, which block blood glow. These medicines help keep blood flowing normally and reduce the chance of clots.
It's important to note that specific medication types, therapies, therapeutic procedures, health behavior changes, or other treatments recommended may be different for each person depending on the situation and should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
Medication dosing may be affected by many factors. Check with your health care professional about dosing for your individual situation. Other side effects can occur. Check with your health care professional or read the information provided with your medication for additional side effect information.