Communicating pancreatic and splenic pseudocysts: A case report

Abstract

A splenic pseudocyst is an encapsulated mature collection located within the splenic tissues. It is usually asymptomatic and is detected incidentally during either radiological workup or laparoscopy for other reasons. Our patient is a 66-year-old male presenting with a history of weight loss, early satiety, and constipation, found to have a splenic pseudocyst communicating with a preexisting pancreatic cyst. Cystic lesions of the spleen can be divided into primary and secondary types. Secondary splenic cysts (pseudocysts) are residues of either earlier infection, trauma, or infarction. Management approaches to splenic cysts are either conservative or surgical according to the symptoms and size of these cysts. Most splenic cysts are discovered incidentally either during radiological workup or laparoscopy. Such entities require the combined effort of surgeons, gastroenterologists, and radiologists to provide the maximum care for these patients.