Cysts (kidneys)
- Article
- 2021-03-02
Simple kidney cysts are fluid-filled sacs or cysts that can form in one or both kidneys. You can have only one cyst or you can have many. Simple kidney cysts are usually round or oval in shape. They can range from the size of a pea to the size of a golf ball.
Simple kidney cysts are usually harmless. Simple kidney cysts do not enlarge the kidneys, replace their normal structure, or cause reduced kidney function the way cysts do in people with polycystic kidney disease (PKD). PKD is a genetic condition that can cause chronic kidney disease.
Do simple kidney cysts have a different name?
Healthcare professionals sometimes refer to them as simple kidney cysts.
How common are simple kidney cysts?
In one large study, about 1 in 10 people had simple kidney cysts. In people aged 50 and older, nearly 1 in 5 people had simple kidney cysts. 1
Who is more likely to develop simple kidney cysts?
Simple kidney cysts are more common in older people, and men are more likely to develop simple kidney cysts than women. 2 In one study, men were twice as likely to have simple kidney cysts. 1
What are the symptoms and complications of simple kidney cysts?
As people age, simple kidney cysts tend to enlarge and grow in number. However, simple kidney cysts don't usually cause any symptoms or additional health problems.
In rare cases, simple kidney cysts can grow large enough
- pressure on your bones or other organs, causing pain or discomfort
- block blood or urine flow through the kidneys or ureters
- become infected and cause fever, pain, and tenderness
- bursting, which causes pain or blood in the urine, also called hematuria
- cause high blood pressure
Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any of these symptoms. Healthcare professionals can treat simple kidney cysts that cause symptoms or other health problems.
What Causes Simple Kidney Cysts?
Experts don't fully understand the cause of simple kidney cysts, but these are more common as people age.
How do health care providers diagnose simple kidney cysts?
Simple kidney cysts don't usually cause symptoms, so health care providers often find simple kidney cysts when they run an imaging test for any other reason. Healthcare professionals can use imaging tests and lab tests to rule out other more serious problems, including some kidney cancers. If you're diagnosed with a simple kidney cyst, you usually don't need further tests or treatment.
Imaging tests
A specially trained technician will perform imaging tests at a health care provider's office, an outpatient clinic, or a hospital, and a radiologist or nephrologist will review the images. A health care provider can use a computed tomography (CT) scan NIH remote link or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) NIH remote link if he or she needs more information to confirm your diagnosis.
You don't need an external NIH anesthesia link for these tests, but a health care provider can give you light sedation if you're worried about tight spaces and need an MRI.
Ultrasound. An abdominal ultrasound NIH external link can find simple kidney cysts by taking pictures of your kidneys. Ultrasound uses a device called a transducer that bounces safe, painless sound waves off your organs to create an image or picture of their structure.
CT-scan. CT scans can reveal cysts and tumors in the kidneys. A CT scan uses a combination of X-rays and computer technology to create images of your urinary tract. While a CT scan without contrast is the most common way to view your urinary tract, a healthcare provider can give you an injection of contrast. Contrast medium is a dye or other substance that resultsor makes structures in your body easier to see during imaging tests. For a CT scan, you lie on a table that slides into a tunnel-shaped device that takes the X-rays.
MRI. Like CT scans, an MRI can reveal cysts and tumors, but provides more detailed images. MRI machines use radio waves and magnets to produce detailed images of your organs and soft tissues without X-rays.
Lab tests
A health care provider can use urine and blood tests to test your kidney function.
How do health care providers treat complications from simple kidney cysts?
Healthcare professionals don't usually treat simple kidney cysts that don't cause symptoms. However, you may be asked to have regular ultrasounds to view your simple kidney cysts for signs of change or problems.
Healthcare professionals will treat simple kidney cysts that cause symptoms, such as pain, or that block the flow of blood or urine. Some research suggests that draining or removing the cysts can help with high blood pressure related to simple kidney cysts. 3 Researchers are not sure how or why this works.
Sclerotherapy. Sclerotherapy is used to drain cysts. Using ultrasound as a guide, a healthcare provider inserts a long needle through your skin and into the cyst. The health care provider will drain the cyst and inject an alcohol solution. The solution hardens the area in the cyst so it is less likely to refill with fluid. This procedure is usually performed in an outpatient clinic with local anesthesia.
Surgery. If a cyst is large, you may need laparoscopic surgery. The surgeon drains the cyst and then removes or burns the outer tissue. You may need general anesthesia in a hospital for this procedure. You may have to stay in the hospital for 1 or 2 days.
Can I Prevent Simple Kidney Cysts?
No. You cannot prevent simple kidney cysts.
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