Pancreatic cysts are fluid-filled sacs that form within or on the surface of the pancreas. Most small cysts cause no complaints and are found incidentally during scans for other problems. When symptoms occur they usually reflect cyst size, location, or complications such as infection, bleeding, or malignant change:

1. Persistent upper-abdominal pain
   Dull ache or pressure that may radiate straight through to the back; often worse after fatty meals and sometimes steadily increasing over weeks.
2. Early satiety and bloating
   A feeling of fullness after a few bites, belching, and visible abdominal distension when the cyst compresses the stomach or duodenum.
3. Nausea and vomiting
   Intermittent queasiness or frank vomiting, especially if the cyst obstructes the gastric outlet or pancreatic duct.
4. Unintended weight loss
   Fear of pain or true malabsorption from associated pancreatic exocrine insufficiency leads to gradual weight decline.
5. Jaundice
   Yellow sclerae, dark urine and pale stools appear when a cyst in the pancreatic head compresses the common bile duct .
6. Palpable mass
   A large cyst may be felt as a smooth, non-tender upper-abdominal swelling that moves little with respiration.
7. Acute complications
   Sudden severe pain, fever, or shock suggest rupture, infection, or bleeding into the cyst; this is a surgical emergency.

Any new upper-abdominal pain accompanied by fullness, weight loss, or jaundice warrants contrast-enhanced CT or MRI to characterise the cyst and guide further management.