Kidney Cyst

[rbkkh64]

I recently went to the emergency room with a severe case of the stomach flu. The doctor decided to do a CT scan and when the results came back, he informed me that I had a very large cyst on my right kidney. He told me it was nothing to worry about. I'm not so sure. I am having trouble with incontinence and frequency of urination. I also have constant dull aching pain in my back on my right side. Can you tell me if it is something to worry about?

[Rowena Santos, MD]

How are you? Most often, simple cysts do not cause symptoms or harm the kidney. However, pain can occur when cysts enlarge and press on other organs. Sometimes cysts become infected or suddenly start to bleed or impair kidney function.  If cysts cause symptoms, treatment may be needed. One procedure involves puncturing the cyst using a long needle inserted through the skin. The doctor uses ultrasonography to guide the needle to the cyst. The cyst is drained and then filled with a solution containing alcohol to make the tissue harder.If the cyst is large, surgery may be needed.

I hope this helps. Take care and keep us posted.