pseudocyst

pseudocyst /pseu·do·cyst/ (soo´do-sist)

1. an abnormal or dilated space resembling a cyst but not lined with epithelium.

2. a complication of acute pancreatitis, characterized by a cystic collection of fluid and necrotic debris whose walls are formed by the pancreas and surrounding organs.

3. a cluster of small, comma-shaped forms of Toxoplasma gondii found particularly in muscle and brain tissue in toxoplasmosis.

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pseu·do·cyst (sd-sst)

n.

1. An abnormal sac that resembles a cyst but has no membranous lining. Also called adventitious cyst, false cyst.

2. A cyst whose wall is formed by a host cell and not by a parasite.

3. A cyst consisting of a host cell enclosing a mass of Toxoplasma parasites, usually found in the brain.

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pseudocyst

[so̅o̅′dəsist]

Etymology: 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.

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pseudocyst

an abnormal dilated space resembling a cyst but not lined with epithelium, e.g. a retroperitoneal accumulation of urine from a leaking ureter.

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pancreatic pseudocyst

accumulation of pancreatic secretions and cellular debris may occur with recurring episodes of pancreatitis, most commonly in dogs.

perirenal pseudocyst, perinephritic pseudocyst

see feline perirenal cysts.

salivary pseudocyst

see salivary mucocele.

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pseudocyst

Parasitology A cyst-like 'mass' that corresponds to a macrophage laden with Toxoplasma gondii or other sporozoans which is most often seen in the brain, a finding typical of AIDS neuropathy Pathology A dilated space lined by neither epithelium nor mesothelium, classically seen in the pancreas as unilocular spaces lined by fibrous tissue, often following multiple bouts of acute pancreatitis, or in the ultrarare hereditary pancreatitis