1Internal Medicine Department Gastroenterology unit, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, 61511
2 Internal Medicine Department Gastroenterology unit, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University Cairo 11451
Pancreatic cystic lesions are increasingly detected owing to advances in abdominal imaging. Although most pancreatic cysts are benign, some have premalignant or malignant potential, making accurate cyst characterization and risk stratification clinically important. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) enables pancreatic cyst fluid analysis and provides additional diagnostic information beyond imaging findings. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is the most widely used pancreatic cyst fluid biomarker for differentiating mucinous from non-mucinous cystic lesions. However, variations in diagnostic cutoff values and its limited ability to distinguish benign from malignant lesions restrict its use as an independent predictor of malignancy. This narrative review summarizes the current evidence regarding the diagnostic and predictive value of pancreatic cyst fluid CEA and discusses its role in pancreatic cyst characterization, malignant risk assessment, and integration with clinical, imaging, and cytological findings. . .
Keywords: Pancreatic cystic lesions; Pancreatic cyst fluid; Carcinoembryonic antigen; CEA; Pancreatic malignancy; Mucinous cysts; Biomarkers. .
How to cite this article: Shatat MEA, Okasha HH, Elnady MA, Fatah ASA, Hassan HA, Ibrahim SA, Ahmed FMS, Abdelkawy AM. Predictive Value of Pancreatic Cyst Fluid Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) for Malignancy in Pancreatic Cystic Lesions: A Narrative Review. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(70s): 1318-1325. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.70s.141
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: None.