Why do cysts form on kidneys

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How common are simple kidney cysts? Who is more likely to develop simple kidney cysts? What are the symptoms and complications of simple kidney cysts? What causes simple kidney cysts?

How do health care professionals diagnose simple kidney cysts? How do health care professionals treat the complications of simple kidney cysts? Clinical Trials What are simple kidney cysts? Do simple kidney cysts have another name? Bladder cancer affects twice as many men as women. Bladder prolapse is when the bladder bulges into the vagina. Cystitis is the most common urinary tract infection in women.

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Skip to main content. Kidney and bladder. Home Kidney and bladder. Kidneys - cystic kidney disease. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Functions of kidneys Kidney cysts Types of cystic kidney disease Diagnosis of cystic kidney disease Treatment for cystic kidney disease Where to get help. Functions of kidneys The human body normally has two kidneys, one on either side of the middle back, just under the ribs.

Almost all kidney cysts are found on imaging tests that create a picture of your internal organs. These tests include ultrasound, computerized tomography CT , or magnetic resonance imaging MRI scans. Sometimes kidney cysts are found when one of these tests is performed for another reason. Your doctor might want to check the cyst again with a CT scan in 6 to 12 months. If you start having problems, your doctor might want you to have a CT or MRI scan of your kidney to see if the cyst is growing.

If the cyst on your kidney is large or if it contains calcifications hard, stony pieces or dense tissue, you might need to have CT scans every so often. This allows your doctor to watch for changes in the cyst. If your cyst is blocking blood flow or urine flow, your doctor may have to treat it. He or she may use a procedure called sclerotherapy. During sclerotherapy, your doctor will use a long needle to drain the cyst. He or she will then fill the cyst with an alcohol solution to harden kidney tissue.

You may never realize it because you may never have symptoms. And most kidney cysts do not cause any problems. If you do have symptoms back or belly pain, blood in your urine, etc. He or she can advise you on a treatment or ways to help relieve your symptoms. American Kidney Fund. National Kidney Foundation. This article was contributed by: familydoctor. A simple cyst may not cause any symptoms. However, if the cyst grows large or becomes infected, it may cause symptoms such as:.

They do have a few possible explanations. For example, each kidney has about a million tiny tubules that collect urine. Cysts may start to grow when a tube becomes blocked, swells up, and fills with fluid. Another possibility is that cysts start when pouches called diverticula form in weakened areas of the tubules and fill with fluid. By age 40, about 25 percent of people will have them.

By age 50, about 50 percent of people will have kidney cysts. Men are at greater risk than women of developing kidney cysts. However, sometimes they can lead to complications, including:. PKD can damage the kidneys over time. About half of people with this condition will develop kidney failure by age To diagnose a kidney cyst, you might see a specialist called a urologist.

Your doctor may take a blood or urine sample to see how well your kidneys are working. Sclerotherapy is done to drain the cyst. Using ultrasound as a guide, your doctor will place a thin needle into the cyst through your skin and drain all the fluid from the cyst.

Sometimes, the doctor fills the cyst with an alcohol solution afterward to prevent it from growing again.