Pancreatic pseudocysts most often follow a bout of pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is a serious and painful condition. Pancreatic enzymes, which help you digest fats and sugars, overreact and begin to digest the tissues of the pancreas itself. This can cause swelling, bleeding, and damage to the tissues and blood vessels in your pancreas. Cysts typically form when the ducts that carry pancreatic juices to the intestine become blocked.
Pancreatitis can be either acute or chronic. Acute pancreatitis starts suddenly and it can go away with or without treatment. Chronic pancreatitis resists treatment.
While pancreatitis may be a complication of surgery or due to certain autoimmune disorders, alcohol use disorder is the most common cause of both acute and chronic pancreatitis. Additionally, alcohol use disorder can raise the level of certain fats, or triglycerides, in your bloodstream. Your pancreas helps your body digest fats but too much fat can damage it.
Pancreatitis can also be due to gallstones. These are pebblelike deposits that develop in your gallbladder. This small organ is located near your pancreas. It stores bile produced in your liver. Gallstones may be very small or they can grow as large as a golf ball. In some cases, they may block the ducts that drain your pancreas, causing pancreatitis to develop.