Importance of cause in the outcome of pancreatic pseudocysts.

Among 100 consecutive patients with pancreatic pseudocysts, a biliary cause for the preceding acute pancreatitis was found in 27, for a mortality rate of 22 percent. Patients with alcohol abuse as the cause had a more favorable prognosis, with a 5 percent mortality rate among 59 patients (p less than 0.05, chi-square test). Despite an age difference between the two groups, we consider that this feature of patients with pancreatic pseudocyst warrants attention and we make recommendations herein with respect to therapy. Pseudocysts developed in 86 patients consequent to an episode of acute pancreatitis, and all 12 deaths (14 percent) were in this group. None of the remaining 14 patients whose pseudocysts were a feature of chronic pancreatitis died. Of the 81 patients in whom amylase levels were measured, 76 percent had an increased level.