PERFORATION OF A PANCREATIC PSEUDOCYST WI THOUT SYMPTOMS - A SONOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION

A pancreatic pseudocyst was developed in a middle aged man and was to confirm by ultrasound. An exacerbation of a chronic obstructive pancre atitis was suspected. Without having any clinical symptoms next day th ere was not palpable any cyst in the abdomen but sonographically a sma ll residual cyst and some free peritoneal fluid was to be seen. Sympto mless perforations of pancreatic cysts seem to be more frequent than k nown. They form a particular group hitherto scarcely considered. The m issing peritoneal reaction may be related to the very small activity o f trypsin in the exsudat. Later an adenocarcinoma was found histologic ally and the patient died.