Giant Pancreatic Retention Cyst Secondary to Chronic Pancreatitis: Report of a Case

Purpose: To report a rare case of massive pancreatic duct dilatation. Methods: Case report of a 16-yearold female with complex medical background presented acutely in our institution after complicated endoscopic drainage of a symptomatic giant (>16 cm) cyst of the head of the pancreas. Findings: Following a laparotomy the cyst was drained by means of a Roux-en-Y cysto-jejunostomy. Histopathology revealed a true pancreatic cyst. Conclusions: Retention cysts usually are uncomplicated and differentiation from congenital cysts is difficult. In this case, presence of pancreatic calculi, age of diagnosis and recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis were in favour of a retention pancreatic cyst. A cyst of this size and association of true pancreatic cysts with chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic calculi has never been reported previously.