Multiple Pancreatic Pseudocyst Disease

In an effort to determine the incidence of multiple pseudocyst disease and establish the optimal approach to this problem, the records of 91 consecutive patients diagnosed during a 36-month period as having pancreatic pseudocyst disease by sonography or computerized tomographic scanning were reviewed. Thirteen patients (14.3%) had multiple cysts; all received sonograms and six had CT scans. The combined false negative and false positive rate with sonography was 9%. Spontaneous resolution occurred involving five cysts (18%) up to 6.5 cm in size. The diagnosis of cyst multiplicity was confirmed at operation in seven cases; two of the seven operations were excisional and the remaining patients received drainage procedures. There were no operative deaths; complications included one patient who required chronic enzyme replacement therapy after excision and another patient who developed a subphrenic abscess after attempted percutaneous drainage. The incidence of multiple pseudocyst disease in our series is just over 14%. The possibility of multiplicity should be carefully investigated in each patient with pseudocyst disease. In light of the rate of spontaneous resolution, not all patients with multiple pseudocysts may require operative therapy. Because of the 7.7% false negative diagnoses with sonography, CT scanning is especially helpful when the diagnosis of multiple pseudocysts is suspected or in preoperative preparation of pseudocyst drainage. If an operation becomes necessary, a drainage procedure rather than excision should be used whenever possible to maximize gland salvage.