Daily Radiology Case

Explanation

The patient’s history of acute pancreatitis establishes the necessary inflammatory insult. On CT, the presence of a well-circumscribed, homogeneous fluid collection adjacent to the pancreas that develops more than 4 weeks after the acute episode strongly favors a pseudocyst.

Source: Hamidi H, Pancreatic pseudocyst. Case study, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 11 Feb 2026) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-218470

Hints

• 45-year-old male presents with persistent epigastric pain and early satiety several weeks after an episode of severe abdominal pain
• History significant for recent hospitalization for acute pancreatitis
• Contrast-enhanced CT abdomen shows a well-defined fluid collection adjacent to the pancreas
• The lesion has a thin, smooth wall and contains homogeneous fluid without internal septations or solid components
• The collection developed more than 4 weeks after the initial pancreatic inflammation
• This encapsulated peripancreatic fluid collection lacks an epithelial lining