Kidney cyst symptoms

Kidneys are very important organ in the body and play a major role in filtering toxins in your system. Certain conditions and imbalances can arise that can cause cysts to be formed on the kidneys of some people. Kidney cysts are like other cysts that form on the body only they form on the kidneys. The cysts that form are usually fluid-filled sacs but sometimes they can be air filled or contain calcium deposits. They most commonly develop when a person is over the age of 50 or has a genetic disorder called Polycystic Kidney Disease or PKD. While this is a genetic disorder it is not necessarily it may not have shown up in other family members before.

Even people who have no history of kidney disease in the family can still develop kidney cysts because of PKD. It happens when an abnormal gene is passed from one parent to the child even though the parent does not have the disease. Kidney cysts can also develop when a person is elderly or has had a history of kidney problems. These simple kidney cysts are common and can occur in some individuals who do not have PKD. In these cases the cysts do not damage the kidneys like PKD does, but they can become infected and cause blood loss. Kidney cysts found in people who have polycystic kidney disease can eventually lead to the necessity of kidney dialysis, kidney transplant and eventually death if a transplant can not be done. However, not all people who have cysts on their kidneys have PKD.

Kidney cyst symptoms begin with frequent urinary tract infections and blood in the urine. However, these symptoms may not appear for many years after the cysts have formed on the kidneys. Some people do not ever know that they have kidney cysts because they do not have any symptoms of them. Simple kidney cysts are found in about half of the people over the age of 50. Other kidney cyst symptoms include headaches and pain and aches in the abdomen and the lower back. Sometimes the pain will be excruciating in the abdomen and back because calcium filled cysts can cause kidney stones. People who experience these symptoms and who are elderly and have had a history of frequent urinary tract infections are in a high risk category for having kidney cysts. High blood pressure is frequently found in people who have simple kidney cysts too.

Computerized Tomography (CT) scans or MRI’s are done to take pictures of the kidneys to diagnose kidney cysts. If you are experiencing kidney cyst symptoms like frequent urinary tract infections and kidney stones, your doctor may order a CT scan or an MRI done to diagnose the presence of kidney cysts. Kidney cyst symptoms can lead to the need for surgical removal of the cyst if they are very large and pressing on other organs. Normally there is no need for surgery however.

If there are no kidney cyst symptoms being manifested there is no need for treatment other than pain killers and anti-biotics when needed. Unfortunately there is no cure for kidney cysts. If the person is diagnosed with PKD the urologist can prescribe certain treatments that will slow down the growth of the cysts. Eventually kidney dialysis will have to be done and a kidney transplant will most likely be needed for people who have PKD.

Kidney cyst symptoms can become very painful if the cysts contain calcium deposits which can be released into the kidneys and become kidney stones that eventually get passed through the urinary tract. It is important to have a correct diagnosis if you are experiencing kidney cyst symptoms. They should be monitored by the doctor because in rare instances they can become cancerous.

Last updated on Nov 29th, 2009 and filed under Genitourinary Disorders. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Comments are closed