What Is a Renal Cyst?

Renal cysts are one of the most common structural abnormalities in the kidneys of adults. They can be unilateral or bilateral, one or more, and generally have a diameter of about 2 cm. There are also cysts up to 10 cm in diameter, which are more common in men. With the increase of age, the incidence is getting higher and higher. Simple renal cysts are generally asymptomatic. Corresponding manifestations can only occur when cyst compression causes vascular occlusion or urinary tract obstruction, which may affect renal function. When the cyst exceeds 5 cm, appropriate treatment should be performed, including cyst fluid aspiration and intrasac injection of sclerosing agent or surgical treatment.

Basic Information

English name
kidney cyst
Visiting department
Nephrology
Multiple groups
Senior male
Common causes
Simple renal cysts originate from tubular diverticulum
Common symptoms
Intermittent dull pain in waist and abdomen and back

Renal cyst pathogenesis

Simple kidney cysts are not congenital or hereditary kidney diseases, but they are acquired. It is generally believed that simple renal cysts originate from renal tubular diverticula. With the increase of age, there are more and more renal diverticulum diverticula. By the age of 90, the number of diverticulum per manifold can reach three, which can explain the trend of the incidence of simple renal cysts increasing with age. Cysts can be unilateral or bilateral, and can be one or more. Generally located in the deep cortex or medulla, the diameter is generally about 2cm, there are cysts up to 10cm in diameter. Under the microscope, the capsule wall is covered by a single layer of flat epithelium. The cyst contents are similar to plasma filtrate, and the cyst fluid renewal rate is as high as 20 times per day.

Clinical manifestations of renal cyst

Simple renal cysts are generally asymptomatic, but can appear when cystic compression causes vascular occlusion or urinary tract obstruction. This disease is often caused by other diseases when doing urinary tract imaging examinations. In recent years, more and more health examinations include abdominal B-mode ultrasound, and the detection rate of simple renal cysts has increased.
It has been thought that simple cysts do not affect renal function. However, image analysis of CT scans of the kidneys showed that after correction for age, gender, and primary kidney disease, patients with renal cysts had higher blood creatinine levels than patients without renal cysts, and the more cysts, the more serum creatinine The higher the level. This result suggests that simple renal cysts may have an impact on renal function.

Renal cyst examination

The diagnosis of simple renal cysts is mainly based on imaging tests, such as B-mode ultrasound or CT.

Renal cyst diagnosis

The diagnosis of simple renal cysts is mainly based on imaging studies.

Differential diagnosis of renal cyst

The discovery of cysts in the renal parenchyma needs to be distinguished from the following diseases: liquefaction of solid tumor necrosis of the kidney; canceration based on renal cysts, which is extremely rare; autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Renal cyst treatment

Because simple renal cysts are mostly asymptomatic and have little effect on renal function and surrounding tissues, no treatment is required, as long as they follow up for 6 months to 1 year. If the diameter of the cyst is larger than 5 cm or the symptoms of surrounding tissue compression cause urinary tract obstruction, cystic fluid aspiration and intrasac injection of sclerosing agent are needed. If the cyst is large and exceeds 10 cm in diameter, surgery may be needed.

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