Incidental pancreatic cysts on magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract

Aim: to determine the prevalence of incidentally detected pancreatic cyst in the adult population undergoing Magnetic Resonance imaging, as well as to determine the clinical and anatomical features of the cysts and its relationship with age,
gender and hepatic or renal cysts. Materials and methods: retrospective, descriptive study of the prevalence of pancreatic cysts detected on Magnetic Resonance Imaging, obtained between January 1, 2023, to June 30, 2023. Patients with known pancreatic pathology and repeated studies were excluded. Results: 636 patients were included in the study. 243 (38.2%) were male and 393 (61.8%) were female. The prevalence of cysts was 11.6% (74 patients). The mean age of patients with pancreatic cysts was 65.2 years (SD: 12.8) and the mean age of patients without pancreatic cysts was 51.42 years (SD: 15.38) (p < 0.001). There was no difference in prevalence between sexes (p = 0.405). Largest cysts mean diameter was 1.2cm (range 0.2cm – 4.3cm). The most common location
was multifocal (30%), and the most frequent radiological diagnosis was intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) in 38 patients (51.4%) Conclusions: the prevalence of incidental pancreatic cyst was 11.6% and increased strongly with age. There was no correlation between pancreatic cysts and gender.