This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

NICE guidance - pancreatic cysts (pancreas cyst)

Authoring team

People with pancreatic cysts

  • a pancreatic protocol CT scan or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRI/MRCP) should be offered to people with pancreatic cysts. If more information is needed after one of these tests, offer the other one

  • refer people with any of these high-risk features for resection:
    • obstructive jaundice with cystic lesions in the head of the pancreas
    • enhancing solid component in the cyst
    • a main pancreatic duct that is 10 mm diameter or larger

  • EUS after CT and MRI/MRCP should be offered if more information on the likelihood of malignancy is needed, or if it is not clear whether surgery is needed

  • consider fine-needle aspiration during EUS if more information on the likelihood of malignancy is needed

  • when using fine-needle aspiration, perform carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) assay in addition to cytology if there is sufficient sample.

Reference:

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2025 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.