Congratulations on your appointment! I have heard great things about Johns Hopkins specifically with the pancreas so I think you will be in good hands. I am of course not a doctor but the following are from my experiences. In the pancreas there are psuedo-cysts and cysts. Psuedo-cysts are more a collection of fluid and can indicate blocked or malfunctioning ducts causing pancreatic fluids to back-up. The big problem with such is the fluids can become auto-digestive and begin to degrade surrounding tissue. I started my journey with a small (5 mm) psuedo-cyst in the head of my pancreas which seemed to resolve after my first ERCP and sphincterotomy. After my second ERCP, which included a balloon sweep of the tail since been described as "overly agressive" and "unneccesary" treatment, I ended up with a much larger mass of 5 cm proximate to the pancreas tail. Originally, it was thought to be a psuedo-cyst and distal pancreatectomy was scheduled. That surgeon told me it could degrade surrounding tissue including the large veins behind the pancreas (arota) and cause me to bleed to death. He scared the crap out of me and was way too quick to cut. Regardless, I pushed to know more about the mass and what caused it before surgery and further investigation (EUS) determined it was not a psuedo-cyst. Two and a half years later, they still don't know what it is. They are now calling it simply a mass and believe it was caused by the major pancreatitis attack I suffered from the balloon sweep. They are telling me to do nothing and have another MRI scheduled in January to monitor it. Who knows what the long-term ramifications will be. Cysts on the other hand are defined as a collection of cells surrounded by a membrane (neoplasm) and have completely different reasons and sources. Try not to worry about it for now and rest in the fact you are headed to some of the best medical professionals available. Sometimes I wish I lived closer to JH. Worrying about something that may or may not be will only make things worse. I am a firm believer in research and a ton is available online. I would usually tell you to research, research, research. Knowledge is power and good medical professionals will appreciate you having more understanding. Notice I said "good". My first gi was a jerk and though very well known, his disgust with my list of questions should have told me to run like hell. But hindsight is always 20/20. As to the research, you aren't sure what's going on yet and you should guard against causing yourself undue and unneccesary anxiety. I would suggest you learn about MRCP, ERCP, and EUS which are procedures used to investigate pancreas issues but be careful about researching too much about cysts until you know for sure what's going on. Understanding those procedures will help you be prepared for the procedures they may recommend and assist you in making the decision to move forward or not. Remember, a basic premise of medicine is that the benefits FAR outweigh the risks. Make sure YOU and your doctor make the final decision, YOU understand what could happen, and that YOU agree with why you are submitting to it. Give yourself the freedom to walk away from the research because it can become overwhelming. When it does, stop and take a break. Return when you get back to a settled state. My experiences have convinced me that a slow methodical approach is far better than quick reactionary moves. The pancreas is very unpredictable and though some similarities exist, pancreatitis and its symptoms can vary dramatically from patient to patient. I hope my long post is helpful. It is my desire that others benefit from the struggles I have endured. Please don't hesitate to call on me if I can be of any help. Good luck and rest-assurred you are on the right track and will make the best decisions for you. Please keep us posted on your progress. I'll be thinking about you on the 11th. Sending healing energy your way!

I'm dealing with my very first attack...and on the recovery (I hope)....I don't know much about the pancreas and I too am in the dark, however, this place is great. Filled with great people like twoduct who just helped me over a "bump" in the road and so many other wonderful people who know so much about all this crazy panky stuff! I hope your appt goes well.. I too have heard good things about John Hopkins and I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers for healing and knowledge! Andrea :)