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Pancreatic cysts
Pancreatic cysts
What are pancreatic cysts?
The pancreas: What is it? The pancreas is a gland located behind the stomach that performs two essential functions: digesting nutrients through the secretion of digestive enzymes, and regulating blood sugar levels through the secretion of insulin. A pancreatic cyst is a fluid-filled sac that forms in or around the pancreas. There are several types:
- Pseudocysts: these most often appear after acute pancreatitis or abdominal trauma. They are not true cysts, but collections of pancreatic fluid surrounded by a wall. They often disappear spontaneously.
- Mucinous cysts (IPMN and mucinous cystadenoma): these cysts produce a thick fluid (mucus) and may, in some cases, develop into a tumour. They require careful monitoring.
- Serous cysts (serous cystadenoma): these cysts are almost always benign and rarely develop into a tumour.
- Rare cysts of other types, sometimes associated with hereditary or autoimmune diseases.
Symptoms
The vast majority of pancreatic cysts are discovered incidentally during an imaging examination performed for another reason and do not cause any symptoms. When symptoms are present, the most common ones are:
- Abdominal pain or a feeling of heaviness
- Weight loss
- Diabetes
How are pancreatic cysts diagnosed?
You will first meet a gastroenterologist specialising in the Pancreatology and Nutritional Support Clinic, who will review your symptoms and medical and surgical history. Further tests will then be carried out:
- A complete blood test to assess your general condition, kidney function, blood sugar level, vitamin and mineral levels, and liver function.
- An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) with cholangiopancreatography (MRCP): this is the reference test for characterising a pancreatic cyst and assessing its relationship with the pancreatic duct.
- An abdominal CT scan, to complete the assessment if necessary.
- An endoscopic ultrasound : this is an ultrasound examination performed from inside the stomach using an endoscope, allowing the cyst to be analysed very closely and, if necessary, a sample of the cyst fluid to be taken for analysis.
Treatments and care management
The vast majority of pancreatic cysts do not require specific treatment. The most important step is to assess the risk of the cyst transforming into a tumour, based on the results of the tests performed and on a multidisciplinary consultation involving specialised gastroenterologists and radiologists, pathologists and surgeons. It is following this collegial discussion that the best management strategy — monitoring, endoscopy or surgery — will be determined for each patient.
What does follow-up involve?
Regular follow-up is essential for your care to proceed properly:
- Regular consultations with your gastroenterologist (frequency adapted to the type and size of the cyst)
- Blood tests at each visit
- An abdominal CT scan or magnetic resonance imaging at regular intervals, in accordance with international recommendations
Our specialists
Prof. Marianna Arvanitakis
Director of the Pancreatology and Nutritional Support Clinic
Gastroenterologist, specialising in pancreatic diseases, interventional endoscopy and clinical nutrition.
Professor Marianna Arvanitakis specialised in pancreatology and interventional endoscopy as part of Professor Jacques Devière’s team at Erasme Hospital. After obtaining a university diploma in Clinical Nutrition in 2005, she took over the medical coordination of the nutritional support service in 2018. Research conducted within the clinic focuses in particular on optimising the management of patients with severe acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis, as well as on the management of patients suffering from short bowel syndrome. A member of several scientific societies, she is Secretary General of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) for the 2025–2027 period, and a gastroenterology clinical supervisor for the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB).
Languages spoken: French, English and Greek.
Professor Alia Hadefi
Professor Hadefi is a gastroenterologist with expertise in clinical nutrition and metabolic liver diseases. She completed her doctoral thesis on the interaction between the gut and liver diseases in 2024, and completed additional training in 2025 in the Department of Gastroenterology, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) and Nutritional Support at Beaujon Hospital (Paris).
Languages spoken: French, English, Arabic.
Dr Michael Fernandez Y Viesca
Dr Fernandez is a gastroenterologist with expertise in pancreatology, acquired after obtaining a university diploma in pancreatology in 2017 (Sorbonne). He is the coordinating physician for Benign Pancreatic Diseases within the multidisciplinary pancreatology consultation team and is currently preparing a doctoral thesis on severe acute pancreatitis.
Languages spoken: French, English, Spanish.
Contact
To make an appointment for a consultation by email at ConsGastroMed [dot] erasme [at] hubruxelles [dot] be (ConsGastroMed[dot]erasme[at]hubruxelles[dot]be) or by telephone on +32 (0)2 555.35.04, or to contact the Gastroenterology Department of H.U.B directly at SecMed [dot] GastroMed [dot] erasme [at] hubruxelles [dot] be (SecMed[dot]GastroMed[dot]erasme[at]hubruxelles[dot]be)