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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 (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
• Kidney Cysts (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Polycystic Kidney Disease (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Diagnosis and Tests

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

Specifics

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

Genetics

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

Statistics and Research

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

Clinical Trials

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

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

• Article: Quantifying variant contributions in cystic kidney disease using national-scale whole-genome sequencing.
• Article: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in renal cystic lesions: an update.
• Article: Immunofluorescence analyses of respiratory epithelial cells aid the diagnosis of 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 (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Children

• Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney (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