22/09/2016

KidneycystsTreatmentsanddrugsMayoClinic

DiseasesandConditions

Kidneycysts
ByMayoClinicStaff

Kidneycystsareroundpouchesoffluidthatformonorinthekidneys.Kidneycystscanbe
associatedwithseriousdisordersthatmayimpairkidneyfunction.Butmorecommonly,kidney
cystsareatypecalledsimplekidneycystsnoncancerouscyststhatrarelycausecomplications.
It'snotclearwhatcausessimplekidneycysts.Typically,onlyonecystoccursonthesurfaceofa
kidney,butmultiplecystscanaffectoneorbothkidneys.However,simplekidneycystsaren'tthe
sameasthecyststhatformwithpolycystickidneydisease.
Simplekidneycystsareoftendetectedduringanimagingtestperformedforanothercondition.
Simplekidneycyststhatdon'tcausesignsorsymptomsusuallydon'trequiretreatment.
Simplekidneycyststypicallydon'tcausesignsorsymptoms.Ifasimplekidneycystgrowslarge
enough,symptomsmayinclude:
Dullpaininyourbackorside
Fever
Upperabdominalpain

Whentoseeadoctor
Makeanappointmentwithyourdoctorifyouhavesignsorsymptomsofakidneycyst.
It'snotclearwhatcausessimplekidneycysts.Onetheorysuggeststhatkidneycystsdevelop
whenthesurfacelayerofthekidneyweakensandformsapouch(diverticulum).Thepouchthen
fillswithfluid,detachesanddevelopsintoacyst.
Theriskofhavingsimplekidneycystsincreasesasyougetolder,thoughtheycanoccuratany
age.Simplekidneycystsaremorecommoninmen.
Kidneycystscanoccasionallyleadtocomplications,including:
Aninfectedcyst.Akidneycystmaybecomeinfected,causingfeverandpain.
Aburstcyst.Akidneycystthatburstscausesseverepaininyourbackorside.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/kidneycysts/basics/treatment/con20035205?p=1

1/4

22/09/2016

KidneycystsTreatmentsanddrugsMayoClinic

Urineobstruction.Akidneycystthatobstructsthenormalflowofurinemayleadtoswellingof
thekidney(hydronephrosis).
Asimplekidneycystdiscoveredduringanimagingtestforanotherdiseaseorconditionmay
concernyou.Talkwithyourdoctoraboutwhathavingasimplekidneycystmeansforyourhealth.
Gatheringinformationmayputyourmindateaseandhelpyoufeelmoreincontrolofyour
situation.

Whatyoucando
Beforemeetingwithyourdoctor,preparealistofquestionstoask,suchas:
Howbigisthekidneycyst?
Isthekidneycystneworhasitbeenvisibleonotherscans?
Isthekidneycystlikelytogrow?
Canthekidneycysthurtmykidney?
Ihavetheseunexplainedsymptoms.Couldtheybecausedbyakidneycyst?
Doesthekidneycystneedtoberemoved?
Whataremytreatmentoptions?
Whatarethepotentialrisksofeachtreatmentoption?
Whatsignsorsymptomsmayindicatethekidneycystisgrowing?
ShouldIseeaspecialist?
ArethereanyrestrictionsthatIneedtofollow?
DoyouhaveanyprintedmaterialthatIcantakewithme?Whatwebsitesdoyourecommend?
WillIneedafollowupvisit?
Don'thesitatetoaskotherquestionsastheyoccurtoyouduringyourappointment.

Whattoexpectfromyourdoctor
Yourdoctorislikelytoaskyouanumberofquestions,suchas:
Doyouhaveanysymptoms?
Ifso,howlonghaveyouexperiencedsymptoms?
Haveyoursymptomsgottenworseovertime?
Doyouhaveanybloodinyoururine?
Haveyouhadpaininyourbackorsides?
Haveyouhadafeverorchills?
Doyouhaveanyothermedicalconditions?
Whatmedications,vitaminsorsupplementsdoyoutake?
Testsandproceduresusedtodiagnosesimplekidneycystsinclude:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/kidneycysts/basics/treatment/con20035205?p=1

2/4

22/09/2016

KidneycystsTreatmentsanddrugsMayoClinic

Imagingtests.Imagingtests,suchasanultrasound,acomputerizedtomography(CT)scan
andmagneticresonanceimaging(MRI),areoftenusedtoinvestigatesimplekidneycysts.
Imagingtestscanhelpyourdoctordeterminewhetherakidneymassisacystoratumor.
Kidneyfunctiontests.Testingasampleofyourbloodmayrevealwhetherakidneycystis
impairingyourkidneyfunction.
Ifyoursimplekidneycystcausesnosignsorsymptomsanddoesn'tinterferewithyourkidney
function,youmaynotneedtreatment.Instead,yourdoctormayrecommendthatyouhavean
imagingtest,suchasultrasound,periodicallytoseewhetheryourkidneycysthasenlarged.Ifyour
kidneycystchangesandcausessignsandsymptoms,youmaychoosetohavetreatmentatthat
time.Sometimesasimplekidneycystgoesawayonitsown.

Treatmentsforcyststhatcausesignsandsymptoms
Ifyoursimplekidneycystiscausingsignsandsymptoms,yourdoctormayrecommendtreatment.
Optionsinclude:
Puncturinganddrainingthecyst,thenfillingitwithalcohol.Rarely,toshrinkthecyst,your
doctorinsertsalong,thinneedlethroughyourskinandthroughthewallofthekidneycyst.
Thenthefluidisdrainedfromthecyst.Yourdoctormayfillthecystwithanalcoholsolutionto
preventitfromreforming
Surgerytoremovethecyst.Alargeorsymptomaticcystmayrequiresurgerytodrainand
removeit.Toaccessthecyst,thesurgeonmakesseveralsmallincisionsinyourskinand
insertsspecialtoolsandasmallvideocamera.Whilewatchingavideomonitorintheoperating
room,thesurgeonguidesthetoolstothekidneyandusesthemtodrainthefluidfromthecyst.
Thenthewallsofthecystarecutorburnedaway.
Dependingonthetypeofprocedureyourdoctorrecommends,treatmentforyourkidneycystmay
requireabriefhospitalstay.

References
1.BennettWM,etal.Simpleandcomplexrenalcystsinadults.http://www.uptodate.com/home.AccessedMay15,
2015.
2.WeinAJ,etal.,eds.Benignrenaltumors.CampbellWalshUrology.10thed.Philadelphia,Pa.:SaundersElsevier
2012.http://www.clinicalkey.com.AccessedMay15,2015.
3.Simplekidneycysts.NationalKidneyandUrologicDiseasesInformationClearinghouse.
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/healthinformation/healthtopics/kidneydisease/kidneycysts/Pages/facts.aspx.Accessed
May15,2015.
4.BasO,etal.Managementofrenalcysts.JournaloftheSocietyofLaparoendoscopicSurgeons.
201519:e2014.00097.
5.AskMayoExpert.Renalcysts.Rochester,Minn.:MayoFoundationforMedicalEducationandResearch2013.
6.Simplekidneycysts.NationalKidneyFoundation.https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/SimpleKidneyCysts.
AccessedMay15,2015.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/kidneycysts/basics/treatment/con20035205?p=1

3/4

22/09/2016

KidneycystsTreatmentsanddrugsMayoClinic

7.AlbrightRC(expertopinion).MayoClinic,Rochester,Minn.May26,2015.

June30,2015
Originalarticle:http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/kidneycysts/basics/treatment/con20035205

AnyuseofthissiteconstitutesyouragreementtotheTermsandConditionsandPrivacyPolicylinkedbelow.
TermsandConditions
PrivacyPolicy
NoticeofPrivacyPractices
MayoClinicisanotforprofitorganizationandproceedsfromWebadvertisinghelpsupportourmission.MayoClinic
doesnotendorseanyofthethirdpartyproductsandservicesadvertised.
Advertisingandsponsorshippolicy
Advertisingandsponsorshipopportunities
Asinglecopyofthesematerialsmaybereprintedfornoncommercialpersonaluseonly."Mayo,""MayoClinic,"
"MayoClinic.org,""MayoClinicHealthyLiving,"andthetripleshieldMayoCliniclogoaretrademarksofMayoFoundation
forMedicalEducationandResearch.

19982016MayoFoundationforMedicalEducationandResearch.Allrightsreserved.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/kidneycysts/basics/treatment/con20035205?p=1

4/4