Do Pancreatic Pseudocysts Go Away?

Often pseudocysts get better and go away on their own. If a pseudocyst is small and not causing serious symptoms, a doctor may want to monitor it with periodic CT scans. If the pseudocyst persists, gets larger, or causes pain, it will require surgical treatment.

How long does a pancreatic pseudocyst last?

Pancreatic pseudocysts are a known complication of acute and chronic pancreatitis. Chronic pseudocysts over 8 weeks are less likely to resolve spontaneously and, as the risk of complications increases with time, treatment of large pseudocysts (>5 cm) should not be postponed ⁶.

How do you treat a pancreatic pseudocyst?

Treatments of pancreatic pseudocysts include conservative treatment (watchful monitoring), surgical drainage, which can be performed through a standard cut (open surgical drainage) or by key-hole surgery (laparoscopic surgical drainage), or endoscopic drainage.