Did your doctor diagnose that you had a kidney cyst at your last yearly health check? If so, don’t worry. A kidney cyst is almost always a benign lesion and not a cancerous tumour. Most people with a kidney cyst will not experience any symptoms and will live their lives without knowing they have a kidney cyst.
Normal kidney function
The kidneys are the body’s organs that produce urine/the liquid waste product of your daily metabolism. Besides getting rid of unwanted waste products from your body, your kidneys also help maintain the pH, sodium, potassium and calcium levels around your body’s cells such as your nerves, muscles, blood, etc. so they can work properly. Your kidneys also release three hormones: erythropoietin (EPO), which stimulates your bone marrow to produce red blood cells. Renin, which regulates your blood pressure. Calcitriol helps maintain calcium levels in your bones and helps maintain a healthy chemical balance in your body.
About Kidney Cysts
Kidney cysts are water-filled sacs that form in the kidneys of some people as they age. Most kidney cysts are small, oval or round in size and have thin walls. Approximately 50 percent of people over 50 may develop kidney cysts. Simple kidney cysts increase in risk with age, although they can develop at any age. There are two main types of kidney cysts: simple kidney cysts and polycystic kidney disease (PKD).
A simple Kidney Cyst is not a hereditary condition. The exact cause of simple kidney cysts is not fully known. It is more common as you get older, with nearly 30% of people over 70 having at least one. Simple kidney cysts do not cause any symptoms and also do not damage your kidneys. In rare cases, simple kidney cysts may cause pain when they become large, infected, bleed, or squeeze other organs. People with simple kidney cysts are more likely to develop high blood pressure, although the cause-and-effect relationship is unclear.
Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), is an inherited condition that causes many cysts to form in the kidneys. Most people with this condition will not have any symptoms. Some people with this may have high blood pressure, back and side pain, blood in urine, and frequent kidney infections. Over time, the cysts can enlarge and take over most of the normal kidney structure. This can lead to a decrease in kidney function, resulting in kidney failure after many years. Approximately 50 percent of people with this disease progress to Kidney Failure/end-stage kidney disease (ESRD). People with this disease may also develop cysts in their liver and problems with blood vessels in other organs such as the brain and heart.
Symptoms
Simple kidney cysts typically don’t cause signs or symptoms. Some of the symptoms experienced by individuals with kidney cysts are dull pain over the back or side, fever, upper abdominal pain, high blood pressure, blood in the urine, or frequent kidney infections.
Diagnosis
Most kidney cysts are found by chance when you have an ultrasound of your abdomen, CT scan, or MRI scan for any other health reasons. Diagnosis of simple kidney cysts can also be done with imaging tests. These tests help the doctor determine if the kidney mass is a kidney cyst or a kidney tumour. Your doctor may also order blood tests to assess your kidney function. Blood tests can help determine if you have a kidney cyst and if it is affecting your kidney function.
Your doctor may ask you for a detailed history of symptoms such as pain in the side between your ribs and hip, pain in your belly or back, fever, frequent urination, blood in your urine or dark urine. If you don’t have any of the above symptoms and your simple kidney cyst isn’t affecting your kidney function, then you may not need treatment. Your doctor may recommend imaging tests (e.g., ultrasound) every 6 to 12 months to see if your kidney cyst is enlarging. A simple kidney cyst can sometimes resolve on its own. If you have large kidney cysts, or if the cyst contains calcifications (hard stony pieces) or dense tissue, your doctor may order more frequent CT scans to see if there are any early changes in the cyst. If the kidney cyst changes and causes signs and symptoms then you may need to undergo treatment for the same.
Treatment
If you have a kidney cyst that is causing symptoms, getting larger, or affecting your kidney function, you may need to undergo surgery to remove it. Treatment options include puncturing it, filling it with alcohol, or surgery. To puncture a cyst, a doctor will insert a thin needle through your skin and into the wall of your kidney. The needle will then drain the fluid from your cyst. The doctor will then fill the cyst with an alcohol solution. There is a chance that your cyst may reform during this procedure. If your cyst is large, surgery may be necessary to remove it. Special tools and a video monitor will be used in the operating room to guide the surgeon to the kidney and use the tools to drain the fluid. The surgeon will then cut or burn away the walls of your cyst.
Outlook
Kidney cysts are small sacs filled with fluid in the kidneys. They are mostly asymptomatic, but they can cause serious complications in some people and can affect their kidney function. A simple kidney cyst is often found during an imaging test for another condition. Most simple kidney cysts do not cause any symptoms and do not require treatment. However, about 50 percent of people with PKD may develop kidney failure/end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
