Other Cystic Lesions of the Pancreas

Abstract

Aside from cystic mucus-producing neoplasms, namely, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) and mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCNs), there are myriads of other cystic lesions that occur in the pancreas (Table 10-1). These include neoplasms that may typically appear solid that have cystic change, such as pancreatic endocrine tumors (PET) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDA). Also included are a large collection of non-neoplastic cysts and some benign neoplastic cysts that usually do not require resection. In general, the cytopathologist’s role is to distinguish between cysts that may require resection, such as cystic mucus-producing neoplasms and solid neoplasms with cystic degeneration, from all those that can be managed conservatively.