Conditions our MRI scans have found

The pancreas is a long, flat gland that sits tucked behind the stomach in the upper abdomen. Its main function is to produce enzymes that help with digestion and hormones that help regulate the way the body processes sugar. Calcium can build up in parts of the pancreas due to an unknown cause or from conditions including alcoholic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), cystic fibrosis, aging and rarely, cancer.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors form in neuroendocrine pancreas cells (such as islet cells). These cells make hormones that help control sugar levels in the blood. Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors may be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). They are much less common than pancreatic exocrine tumors and have a better prognosis.

Most pancreatic cancers are exocrine tumors. Tumors are an abnormal mass of tissue that forms when cells grow and divide more than they should or do not die when they should. A pancreatic exocrine tumor forms in cells that make enzymes to help the body digest food.

The pancreas is a long, flat gland that sits tucked behind the stomach in the upper abdomen. Its main function is to produce enzymes that help with digestion and hormones that help regulate the way the body processes sugar. Although the body and tail of the pancreas are absent, the pancreas has a normal appearance. The absence of the body and tail are reflective of your known history of situs inversus.

Lipomas are the most common type of benign (non-cancerous) fat-containing masses and demonstrate a characteristic appearance on MRI. The cause is not fully understood, but there is a genetic factor as they typically run in families. Usually these tumors do not cause symptoms, but can become painful if large and pressing on nearby nerves.

The pancreas is a long, flat gland that sits behind the stomach. Its main functions are to produce digestive enzymes and hormones that regulate blood sugar levels.

A cyst is a sac-like pocket of membranous tissue that contains fluid, air or other substances. There are several types of cystic growths of the pancreas, each with malignant potential that varies from nearly zero to up to 70% depending on the type. Pancreatic cysts can cause symptoms of abdominal pain, persistent nausea/vomiting, and in more serious cases, jaundice (yellowing of the skin/eyes) and weight loss.