Kidney Cysts
Kidney cysts are fluid filled spaces lined by a thin membrane in the kidney. Kidney cysts increasingly detected as more people go through ultrasound and CT scans for other medical problems. Approximately 15 percent of men and 7 percent of women aged 50 to 69 have a renal cyst. About one-third of men and 15 percent of women older than 70 have a renal cyst. In some patients, only a single kidney cyst is detected. In others, multiple kidney cysts may occur in one or both kidneys.
Risk Factors
People with certain risk factors may be more likely than others to develop kidney cysts. Studies have found several risk factors, including increasing age and end stage kidney failure patients on haemodialysis, as well as genetic risk factors in polycystic kidney disease, von Hippel Lindau syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis. These genetic risk factors are less common but inherited, and may also be associated with increased risk of kidney cancer and other medical conditions.
Many people who get kidney cysts have none of these risk factors, and some people who have known risk factors don't develop the disease.
Symptoms
Many kidney cysts do not cause any symptoms. Symptoms of kidney cysts may include blood in the urine (haematuria), abdominal pain, a mass in the abdomen, fever or poorly controlled hypertension.
Complications of kidney cysts
Kidney cysts may get infected, or they may bleed or rupture. Large cysts may compress on adjacent structures especially the ureter which allows urine to pass from the kidney to the bladder, resulting in urinary obstruction.
Diagnosis
Detailed imaging may be needed to define the kidney cyst(s) according to the Bosniak classification. This may include ultrasound, CT, or MRI scans. The removal of tissue (kidney biopsy) to look for cancer cells is usually not done in kidney cysts as the false negative rate is high.
Kidney cysts may be classified as simple or complex cysts. Simple cysts can be left alone unless they develop complications. Complex cysts have thickened cyst walls, solid nodules or calcification. These cysts that may harbour kidney cancer.
Treatment
Expectant management
Most kidney cysts are simple cysts that do not cause any symptoms. These can be left alone without any surgery or medication. Most cysts do not spontaneously disappear over time. Some complex cysts are not outright cancerous but may develop cancer over time. These need to be monitored with serial imaging and surgery advised when the cyst characteristics change.
Cyst aspiration
Kidney cyst aspiration can be done only in specific cases of simple cysts. It is not performed in complex kidney cysts because of the risk of cancer. After aspiration, there is a risk of the cyst growing back in size (cyst recurrence).
Surgery
Surgery is the most common treatment for people with cysts that developed complications, and cystic kidney cancer (that is, cysts with features suggestive of kidney cancer).
Send us an enquiry
Contact Information
Ravenna Urology Clinic
6 Napier Road #07-12, Gleneagles Medical Centre,
Singapore 258499
T +65 64797822
F +65 64793989
24-hour Service: +65 65358833
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 9 am - 5 pm
Sat 9 am - 12:30 pm
Closed on Sun and Public holidays
Website maintained by PAA.
All rights reserved 2014 ~ 2025.
Kidney Cysts
Kidney cysts are fluid filled spaces lined by a thin membrane in the kidney. Kidney cysts increasingly detected as more people go through ultrasound and CT scans for other medical problems. Approximately 15 percent of men and 7 percent of women aged 50 to 69 have a renal cyst. About one-third of men and 15 percent of women older than 70 have a renal cyst. In some patients, only a single kidney cyst is detected. In others, multiple kidney cysts may occur in one or both kidneys.
Risk Factors
People with certain risk factors may be more likely than others to develop kidney cysts. Studies have found several risk factors, including increasing age and end stage kidney failure patients on haemodialysis, as well as genetic risk factors in polycystic kidney disease, von Hippel Lindau syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis. These genetic risk factors are less common but inherited, and may also be associated with increased risk of kidney cancer and other medical conditions.
Many people who get kidney cysts have none of these risk factors, and some people who have known risk factors don't develop the disease.
Symptoms
Many kidney cysts do not cause any symptoms. Symptoms of kidney cysts may include blood in the urine (haematuria), abdominal pain, a mass in the abdomen, fever or poorly controlled hypertension.
Complications of kidney cysts
Kidney cysts may get infected, or they may bleed or rupture. Large cysts may compress on adjacent structures especially the ureter which allows urine to pass from the kidney to the bladder, resulting in urinary obstruction.
Diagnosis
Detailed imaging may be needed to define the kidney cyst(s) according to the Bosniak classification. This may include ultrasound, CT, or MRI scans. The removal of tissue (kidney biopsy) to look for cancer cells is usually not done in kidney cysts as the false negative rate is high.
Kidney cysts may be classified as simple or complex cysts. Simple cysts can be left alone unless they develop complications. Complex cysts have thickened cyst walls, solid nodules or calcification. These cysts that may harbour kidney cancer.
Treatment
Expectant management
Most kidney cysts are simple cysts that do not cause any symptoms. These can be left alone without any surgery or medication. Most cysts do not spontaneously disappear over time. Some complex cysts are not outright cancerous but may develop cancer over time. These need to be monitored with serial imaging and surgery advised when the cyst characteristics change.
Cyst aspiration
Kidney cyst aspiration can be done only in specific cases of simple cysts. It is not performed in complex kidney cysts because of the risk of cancer. After aspiration, there is a risk of the cyst growing back in size (cyst recurrence).
Surgery
Surgery is the most common treatment for people with cysts that developed complications, and cystic kidney cancer (that is, cysts with features suggestive of kidney cancer).
Send us an enquiry
Contact Information
Opening Hours
Ravenna Urology Clinic
6 Napier Road #07-12, Gleneagles Medical Centre,
Singapore 258499
T +65 64797822
F +65 64793989
24-hour Service: +65 65358833
Mon-Fri 9 am - 5 pm
Sat 9 am - 12:30 pm
Closed on Sun and Public holidays
Website maintained by PAA.
All rights reserved 2014 ~ 2025.
Kidney Cysts
Kidney cysts are fluid filled spaces lined by a thin membrane in the kidney. Kidney cysts increasingly detected as more people go through ultrasound and CT scans for other medical problems. Approximately 15 percent of men and 7 percent of women aged 50 to 69 have a renal cyst. About one-third of men and 15 percent of women older than 70 have a renal cyst. In some patients, only a single kidney cyst is detected. In others, multiple kidney cysts may occur in one or both kidneys.
Risk Factors
People with certain risk factors may be more likely than others to develop kidney cysts. Studies have found several risk factors, including increasing age and end stage kidney failure patients on haemodialysis, as well as genetic risk factors in polycystic kidney disease, von Hippel Lindau syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis. These genetic risk factors are less common but inherited, and may also be associated with increased risk of kidney cancer and other medical conditions.
Many people who get kidney cysts have none of these risk factors, and some people who have known risk factors don't develop the disease.
Symptoms
Many kidney cysts do not cause any symptoms. Symptoms of kidney cysts may include blood in the urine (haematuria), abdominal pain, a mass in the abdomen, fever or poorly controlled hypertension.
Complications of kidney cysts
Kidney cysts may get infected, or they may bleed or rupture. Large cysts may compress on adjacent structures especially the ureter which allows urine to pass from the kidney to the bladder, resulting in urinary obstruction.
Diagnosis
Detailed imaging may be needed to define the kidney cyst(s) according to the Bosniak classification. This may include ultrasound, CT, or MRI scans. The removal of tissue (kidney biopsy) to look for cancer cells is usually not done in kidney cysts as the false negative rate is high.
Kidney cysts may be classified as simple or complex cysts. Simple cysts can be left alone unless they develop complications. Complex cysts have thickened cyst walls, solid nodules or calcification. These cysts that may harbour kidney cancer.
Treatment
Expectant management
Most kidney cysts are simple cysts that do not cause any symptoms. These can be left alone without any surgery or medication. Most cysts do not spontaneously disappear over time. Some complex cysts are not outright cancerous but may develop cancer over time. These need to be monitored with serial imaging and surgery advised when the cyst characteristics change.
Cyst aspiration
Kidney cyst aspiration can be done only in specific cases of simple cysts. It is not performed in complex kidney cysts because of the risk of cancer. After aspiration, there is a risk of the cyst growing back in size (cyst recurrence).
Surgery
Surgery is the most common treatment for people with cysts that developed complications, and cystic kidney cancer (that is, cysts with features suggestive of kidney cancer).
Send us an enquiry
Contact Information
Ravenna Urology Clinic
6 Napier Road #07-12, Gleneagles Medical Centre,
Singapore 258499
T +65 64797822
F +65 64793989
24-hour Service: +65 65358833
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 9 am - 5 pm
Sat 9 am - 12:30 pm
Closed on Sun and Public holidays
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