pseudocyst /so̅o̅″dəsist/ [Gk, pseudes + kystis, bag] , a space or cavity containing gas or liquid but without a lining membrane. Pseudocysts commonly occur after pancreatitis when digestive juices break through the normal ducts of the pancreas and collect in spaces lined by fibroblasts and surfaces of adjacent organs. Symptoms are caused by displacement of abdominal structures or fluid or by atelectasis at the base of the left lung. Ultrasound and computed tomography are useful in diagnosis; surgical drainage is the best therapy. Also called adventitious cyst, false cyst. See also pancreatitis.
