Detection of Locations of Pancreatic Pseudocysts using Computed Tomography: A Retrospective Study

Introduction: The most common cystic lesion of the pancreas are pseudocysts of the pancreas. They are frequently observed in the peripancreatic regions, however, they may appear elsewhere. Knowledge of their varied locations becomes crucial for estimating their size and organising surgical treatments with respect to their mode of drainage and also knowing the exact surgical planes. Aim: To determine the distribution of pancreatic pseudocysts using a computed tomography ( CT) scan. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective observational time-bound carried out from December 2018 to December 2020 in Department of Radiology, Father Muller Medical College Hospital, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India. After obtaining ethical clearance, 56 patients with pancreatic pseudocyst diagnosed on ultrasound and later evaluated by CT were included. The protocol used was 128-slice Multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT), plain and contrast axial images with multiplanar reformations. The primary outcome was to study the various locations in which these pseudocysts were present. The data was entered in a Microsoft Excel sheet. The frequency distribution of data was calculated. Results: Out of the 56 patients, 42 (75%) were males and 14 (25%) were females. Incidence of pseudocyst formation was highest in the age group 40-50 years 23, (41.07%). The most common location of pancreatic pseudocyst was the lesser sac 19 (33.92%). Other sites included peritoneum (n=7, 12.5%%), hepatic (n=8, 14.2%) and sub-hepatic (n=3, 5.36%), perinephric (n=5 , 8.92%), Intrasplenic and perisplenic (n=5, 8.92%), gastric (n=3, 5.36%), subdiaphragmatic regions (n=2, 3.57%), in the Psoas major (n=2, 3.57%) and mediastinum (n=2, 3.57%). Conclusion: The present study concludes that the most common location of a pancreatic pseudocyst is the lesser sac.