Some people will find a kidney cyst during a routine check-up, causing anxiety and tension. Kidney cyst, what’s going on? Will it develop into cancer? Will it affect kidney function and cause uremia? How should it be treated and what measures should be taken? Why have cysts in the kidneys, but I don’t feel it at all? Is this the rhythm of something big to come? Well, let’s answer these questions now.
Renal cysts are cystic lesions that appear inside the kidneys that do not communicate with the outside world. A cyst is simply a cyst filled with fluid. Renal cysts, which can occur in one or both kidneys, are common types, including simple renal cysts, parapelvic cysts, and polycystic kidney disease. Among them, simple cysts are the most common. In fact, this disease occurs in more than 25% of people over the age of 50. However, due to the lack of typical symptoms, most renal cysts are only occasionally discovered during physical examination.
Most renal cysts occur in the upper part of the right kidney, and they appear singly. However, the number of cysts can increase with age. Therefore, some scholars believe that renal cysts are a manifestation of human aging. Current clinical statistics show that people under the age of 20 are less likely to have renal cysts. Once renal cysts are found, they usually represent congenital abnormalities of kidney development or polycystic kidney disease. Renal cysts have a very low rate of canceration. Generally speaking, they are benign lesions, so there is no need to be too nervous.
Renal cysts, from a pathological point of view, mostly occur on the surface of the renal cortex, showing outward growth, and cysts in the deep layers of the renal cortex or medulla are relatively rare. Cysts are mostly round or oval single-lumen structures, 1 to 5 cm in diameter, with a thin wall and an outer layer of fibrous tissue. If inflammation is present, the cyst wall will thicken or calcify. If the cyst occurs near the renal sinus, it is called a parapelvic cyst. If the number of cysts in both kidneys reaches 3 or more, it is called multiple renal cysts. This situation needs to be differentiated from polycystic kidney disease. Polycystic kidney disease, also known as polycystic organ syndrome, is characterized by the kidneys, as well as the liver, pancreas, spleen and other solid organs, there are also polycystic kidneys, and even intracranial aneurysms are present at the same time, and, in the patient’s family members , there may be multiple cases.
In renal cysts, in most cases, the cyst fluid is transparent and contains trace proteins. However, about 5% of the cyst fluid is bloody, which is a hemorrhagic cyst. About 50% of these cysts will have malignant transformation of the cyst wall. Renal cysts are usually asymptomatic, but a small number of patients experience pain in the kidney area, which may be severe if the cyst bleeds or becomes infected. Some patients have hematuria or proteinuria. The growth rate of renal cysts is relatively slow. If the cysts are found to grow rapidly during follow-up, the possibility of hemorrhage or malignant transformation should be considered. Diagnosis of renal cysts, mainly rely on B-ultrasound and CT and other methods.
To deal with renal cysts, the basic principle is regular review. For simple renal cysts that are small in number, small in size, and do not cause local symptoms such as pain, it is recommended to perform a reexamination every 6 to 12 months to observe the changes in cyst volume and shape. If the age at the time of cyst discovery is less than 40 years old, the number of cysts in both kidneys is 3 or more, or if the age is older than 60 years, the number of cysts in unilateral kidney is 4 or more, 40 to 59 years old, the number of cysts in unilateral kidney When it reaches or exceeds 2, more tests are needed to rule out the possibility of polycystic kidney disease.
Patients with renal cysts need timely treatment if they are found to have impaired renal function, or if they develop infection or high blood pressure. Cysts are significantly enlarged, increased, bleeding, and infected, which need prompt treatment. Minimally invasive treatment is usually required, the fluid inside the cyst is aspirated, and anhydrous alcohol is injected to destroy the cells of the cyst wall and prevent recurrence. If the diameter of the cyst is less than 4 cm, it is mainly observation and medical intervention is not necessary. However, patients need to pay attention to enhance immunity, avoid infection, and prevent kidney function from being affected.
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Your health is my concern. Professionals observe health from a scientific and humanistic perspective, including series of bulletins, details, reminders, doubts, viewpoints, historical stories, etc. The content is the original work of author Wei Hongling and his team. All forms of misappropriation and reprinting without permission are refused, otherwise they will be investigated in accordance with relevant laws.