Pancreatic Pseudocysts and Fluid Collections

Abstract

Pancreatic fluid collections represent a diverse group of lesions of various causes, significance, and treatments. The classification of pancreatic fluid collections has been problematic for reporting and interpretation. Many of the reports on series of patients with postpancreatitis fluid collections include more than one type of fluid collection. In part, this is reflective of the dynamic nature of pancreatitis and its complications. Therefore, it may be useful to consider the various pancreatic collections as a progressive spectrum of a disease state in terms of a tabular listing of increasing severity and, in individual patients, as a potential sequence of disease progression. Although this symposium deals with chronic pancreatitis and its sequelae, the differentiation between acute and chronic pancreatitis is at times arbitrary and found only at surgery or by biopsy. This article summarizes the author's definition of terms and options for treatment of fluid collection.