Kidney Disease

Living with Renal Cysts

Cysts are fluid filled sacs which may develop in different parts of the body. They are non-cancerous & are usually not harmful. However, cysts in the kidneys are a cause of concern.

If you or your loved one is diagnosed with cysts in your kidneys, consult a urologist to understand how to cut down the risk of complications.

What is the prevalence of kidney cysts?

Kidney cysts affect up to 50% of adults over the age of 50.

Understanding Renal Cysts

Renal cysts are of two types

1. Simple Cysts :
These are individual cysts with thin walls containing water-like fluid. These do not cause damage to the kidneys or affect their function in any way.

2. Polycystic Kidney Disease:
Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disorder resulting in formation of multiple cysts on the kidneys. They tend to cause severe kidney damage as they grow.

In most cases, cysts do not cause any symptoms & cannot be found until a person gets a scan done for some other reason. These cysts may vary from being too tiny to be visible without a microscope to being as large as a tennis ball. Growing cysts put pressure on nearby organs causing pain.

Identifying Signs:

While most cysts do not cause any symptoms, as they get infected or grow larger there may be a few noticeable signs:

Need to urinate more often than usual
Bloody or dark urine
Fever
Dull pain in the back
Pain and/or swelling in the upper abdomen
The increasing size of the cyst.
Reduced kidney function.

Polycystic kidney disease may cause symptoms like:

Analysing Causes:

Generally cysts are harmless, but in some cases may lead to severe complications such as:

Polycystic kidney disease can damage kidneys in the long run.

Diagnosing Cysts:

A blood & urine sample may be required to understand the functioning of the kidney. Certain imaging tests such as the following may also be recommended.

Exploring Treatments:

If the cysts is tiny & doesn't cause any symptoms, treatment may not be necessary. However, frequent imaging tests (usually once every 6 months) have to be done make sure the cyst has not enlarged.

If the cyst is large, treatment may involve sclerotherapy or surgery. Sclerotherapy refers to puncturing & draining the cyst and then filling it with alcohol solution to prevent it from forming again. A large cyst may be removed with a laparoscopic surgery making several small incisions. The surgeon first drains the cyst and then cut & burn the walls of the cyst.