Cystic Neoplasms of the Pancreas

Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas are an important entity for gastroenterologists and endoscopists because these lesions represent the best example of an early malignancy of the pancreas. In the past, cystic neoplasms of the pancreas were thought to be relatively rare, composing less than 10% of cancers of the pancreas. With the increasing use of cross-sectional imaging, an increasing number of these neoplasms are being seen. Cystic lesions of the pancreas are made up of a broad range of neoplastic cysts and inflammatory pseudocysts. The neoplastic cysts manifest a wide range of malignancy, from overtly malignant to premalignant lesions, and benign cystadenomas. Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas can be divided into two major categories, mucinous and nonmucinous lesions (Table 1) (1). There are three types of mucinous lesions, benign mucinous cystadenomas, malignant mucinous cystic lesions, and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs). The nonmucinous lesions include microcystic serous cystadenomas and the cystic endocrine tumors.