New pseudocyst and question

[Guest guest]

Hi,

This past president's week was spring break and rather then spending having

fun I had to have a knew problem due to pancreatitis. On Tuesday I was walking

in Manhattan (NYC) and going to buy tickets to see a play on Broadway when I get

abdominal pain and it hurts everytime that I breath. I go for a emergency CT

Scan on Wednesday and of course they could not get an IV in me for contrast, but

7 people did try! As they are trying to stick me one of the residents says

don't worry we can see that large pseudocyst without the contrast (I was not

suppose to hear this). It was not until Friday that I was able to see my GI and

then when I walked into his office he said that he did not have my chart because

the currier got into a car accident!! Then he goes well I should be able to get

the results to the CT by calling radiology anyway well he does this and the

report from my CT Scan is lost somewhere in cyber space. My GI then called

radiology and they read my CT scan to the GI over the phone and it turns out

that I had a 10cm pseudocyst. I would not believe it because during the first

week of December I had a 4cm pseudocyst aspirated and when they did this there

were no other pseudocysts!

At this point my GI admitted me to the hospital and had the new pseudocyst

aspirated the problem tho with this is that he said if the pseudocyst comes back

after the 1st aspiration then it is just going to keep coming back bigger.

Has anyone here had a pseudocyst that could only be aspirated or have

surgery - the location in which it keeps reoccurring does not allow for stenting

or external drains.

I can't keep having pseudocysts reoccur every 2 months and keep get bigger

because the bigger they are the more dangerous that they are?

I am looking for any advice knowledge that anyone could share

-thank you in advance

a

[Guest guest]

a,

Believe me, I know EXACTLY how you feel!! I have had TWO pseudocysts

for the past four years that wax and wane at a will of their own. They are also

in locations where convention drainage is not possible, so I've had to just

" live " with them and hope for the best. The largest pseudocyst was partially

aspirated four years ago, but filled back up again and then increased in size.

Mine has never been as large as 10 cm., fortunately. At my last CT-scan in

October it was 6.5 x 6.4, and the other had resolved down to 2 cm.

I'm sure that you've already been told that they can refill again after

aspiration

or drainage, and it's common for new pseudocysts to develop once you've

had one or more. I know how discouraging this whole issue can be.

In my case, surgery to remove them has been discussed with two surgeons,

and denied. I even went to a highly specialized Pancreatologist at the Mayo

Clinic who specializes with pseudocysts only. After a full evaluation,

including

bloodwork and a CT-scan, he told me that he would only consider surgery as

a last resort, but that he felt it would endanger my current maintenence level

and that there was no assurance that I would be better off than I am now.

His advice was for me to just continue as I am now, with regular supervision

by my gastroenterologist, appropriate narcotic medication as needed, and to

have the pseudocysts monitored by CT-scans only, (no ultrasounds), every 6

months. I've had 17 CT-scans in the past 4 years, and they do a CA-19-9

cancer tumor marker blood test on an alternating 6 month basis.

I wish I had a more encouraging response to give you, but this is just the

individual analysis of my situation with my pseudocysts. You're the first

person I've met on the board that's been in the same situation, all the others

have been able to take advantage of the conventional drainage or surgical

options, and have had their's removed.

Do you know the precise location of where your's is, and why do they say that

drainage isn't possible?

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina State Rep.

South Eastern Regional Rep.

PAI

Note: All comments or advice are based on personal experience or opinion,

and should not be substituted for professional medical consultation.

a wrote:

> Has anyone here had a pseudocyst that could only be aspirated or have

surgery - the location in which it keeps reoccurring does not allow for stenting

or external drains.