Kidney cyst symptoms

What are kidney cysts and why do they occur?

Kidney cysts are round formations in the kidneys that are filled with fluid and that resemble pouches. In the majority of the cases, kidney cysts are not dangerous and they are non-cancerous, so no complications should be expected, but there are cases, though they are rare, in which these cysts are a sign of some serious disorder that may affect the proper function of the kidneys. Those non-cancerous cysts are also called simple cysts, and one or more of them may form on the surface of the kidney, but the reason why they appear or the factors that increase the risk of their occurrence have not really been determined, since they are possible at any age.

What are the main symptoms of kidney cysts?

When it comes to the symptoms of kidney cysts, they may sometimes not appear at all, so people may practically feel no problems, which is particularly common in simple kidney cysts. On the other side, if they provoke some symptoms, those to start with are usually pain in the kidneys or increased blood pressure. However, if the cysts grow too much, then the symptoms that might be experienced are infections of the urinary tract that happen too often, or blood in the urine. Dull pain either in the back or abdomen, as well as fever may also be present, and the patient should not wait for them to disappear on their own, but he should visit the doctor if any of the troubling signs are felt. Otherwise, the cyst or cysts may become infected, or they may burst, thus causing even more severe pain. The doctor may detect the cysts with the help of ultrasound, CT or MRI scan, but without them, the condition may easily be misdiagnosed for polycystic kidney disease.

The treatment of the kidney cysts

As it has already been said, some cysts do not cause any symptoms, and thus they do not require any treatment either. In some of such cases, they will disappear on their own, but anyway, it is necessary to monitor the condition, because sometimes the cysts can change. However, in cases which do require the treatment, available options are the surgery procedure that will consist of the drainage and removal of the cyst or, the procedure that consists of puncturing and filling it with alcohol, so that it would not appear again.