Pancreatic Cysts, Demystified

Why pancreatic cysts shouldn't send you into a panic - and the exciting imaging technology that can provide answers and help with positive outcomes.

- AMY GREENBURG

It’s unsettling to find out you’ve got an odd bump or abnormality somewhere on your body – and the discovery of a pancreatic cyst during a routine imaging test can seem scary. But don’t freak out just yet! These fluid-filled sacs are very common and most often benign, says gastroenterologist DR CALVIN KOH.

They’re also usually asymptomatic. Most people don’t realise they have them until the cysts are found incidentally during routine imaging tests – for instance, an ultrasound to screen for liver cancer, or a CT scan to evaluate abdominal pain.

With recent advancements in the quality of imaging technologies, there has been a rise in the number of pancreatic cysts being detected. A recent MRI-based study looking at cross-sectional imaging in a healthy European cohort over 50 years old, for instance, showed that 49.1 percent had pancreatic cysts.