Comparison of preneoplastic pancreatic cysts (MCN and IPMN) with pseudocyst
| Pseudocyst | MCN | IPMN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Anywhere | Primarily body and tail | Head, body and tail | |
| EUS features | Primarily unilocular, anechoic or contains debris | Unilocular or oligolocular | Multiple cysts communicating with pancreatic duct, dilated pancreatic duct | |
| Cystic fluid analysis | CEA | Low | High | High |
| Amylase | High | Usually low but may be high | High | |
| Cytology | Inflammatory cells | Extracellular mucin, mucinous epithelial cells and atypical cells may be seen | Extracellular mucin, mucinous epithelial cells and atypical cells may be seen |
CEA, carcinoembryonic antigen; EUS, endoscopic ultrasound; IPMN, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm; MCN, mucinous cystic neoplasm.