[Pseudocyst of the pancreas fistulized into the right pleural cavity]

The development of a pancreatic pseudocyst which fistulized into the right pleural cavity through a lesion in the diaphragm is described. The case is the 2nd in Italian literature and the 5th in the world. The relationships between pancreatic and thoracic pathology are examined, particularly the various ways in which pancreatic enzymes are spread and transferred to the abdomen and thorax. Such a fistulization phenomenon is the ultimate expression of an erosive process of the pancreatic juice and is considered quite exceptional with respect to the more frequent cases of pleural exudation with high amylase content which are often encountered in concomitance with verified pancreatic pathology.