The pancreas is an organ roughly the shape and size of a medium carrot that lies deep in the upper abdomen. It has two major roles:

• Production of hormones such as insulin (which regulates blood sugar levels)
• Production of a juice containing enzymes that help digest food

When the pancreas is not working properly diabetes can develop and food (particularly fat) may not be digested completely, causing diarrhoea.

Pancreatic cysts are fluid filled sacs within the pancreas. They are often picked up on an ultrasound or CT scan of the abdomen performed for another reason.

There are several types of pancreatic cysts including:

• Simple cysts
• Pseudocysts (from pancreatitis)
• Serous cyst adenomas (SCA)
• Mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCN)
• Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN)

These different types of cysts each behave differently. Most pancreatic cysts are benign (not cancer) however some can be malignant (cancer) and some have the potential to become cancer if left untreated.

A number of tests may be required to assess the type of pancreatic cyst you have and to determine if the cyst could be malignant or if there is a risk of cancer developing. Tests may include:

• CT Scan
• MRI scan
• Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with biopsy or sampling of cyst fluid
• Blood tests for tumour markers

In many cases observation with periodic scans (MRI) is all that is needed, however in some cases surgery may be required to remove part (or very occasionally all) of the pancreas to prevent or treat cancer.