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Kidney Cysts
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/kidneycysts.html

Kidney Cysts

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  • Diagnosis and Tests

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Summary

A cyst is a fluid-filled sac. You may get simple kidney cysts as you age; they are usually harmless. There are also some diseases which cause kidney cysts. One type is polycystic kidney disease (PKD). It runs in families. In PKD, many cysts grow in the kidneys. This can enlarge the kidneys and make them work poorly. About half of people with the most common type of PKD end up with kidney failure. PKD also causes cysts in other parts of the body, such as the liver.

Often, there are no symptoms at first. Later, symptoms include:

  • Pain in the back and lower sides
  • Headaches
  • Blood in the urine

Doctors diagnose PKD with imaging tests and family history. There is no cure. Treatments can help with symptoms and complications. They include medicines and lifestyle changes, and if there is kidney failure, dialysis or kidney transplants.

Acquired cystic kidney disease (ACKD) happens in people who have chronic kidney disease, especially if they are on dialysis. Unlike PKD, the kidneys are normal sized, and cysts do not form in other parts of the body. ACKD often has no symptoms. Usually, the cysts are harmless and do not need treatment. If they do cause complications, treatments include medicines, draining the cysts, or surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

  • Acquired Cystic Kidney Disease From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
  • Kidney Cysts (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
  • Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Diagnosis and Tests

  • Kidney Tests: MedlinePlus Health Topic From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Renal Cysts (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Living With

  • new Living with PKD (PKD Foundation)

Specifics

  • Medullary Sponge Kidney From the National Institutes of Health (National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse)
  • Polycystic Kidney Disease (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
  • Simple Kidney Cysts From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Genetics

  • Meckel syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Medullary cystic kidney disease type 1: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Nephronophthisis: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Polycystic kidney disease: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)

Statistics and Research

  • Kidney Disease Statistics for the United States From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Kidney Diseases, Cystic From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Polycystic Kidney Diseases From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

  • Article: Behavioral Correlates of Caregiver-Reported Oral Health of Individuals With Joubert Syndrome:...
  • Article: Production and characterisation of four Joubert syndrome patient-derived induced pluripotent stem...
  • Article: Calpain1 inhibition enhances autophagy-lysosomal pathway and ameliorates tubulointerstitial fibrosis in Nephronophthisis.
  • Kidney Cysts -- see more articles

Reference Desk

  • Kidneys and Urinary Tract (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Your Kidneys and How They Work From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases From the National Institutes of Health
  • National Kidney Foundation

Children

  • Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney From the National Institutes of Health (National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse)

Patient Handouts

  • Autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Polycystic kidney disease (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

Kidney Cysts

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • Abdominal CT scan
  • Abdominal MRI scan
  • Autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease
  • Polycystic kidney disease

Related Health Topics

  • Kidney Diseases
  • Kidney Failure
  • Kidney Tests
  • Kidney Transplantation

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Kidney Cysts is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.

The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

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