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Urology (Expert Forum)
3 year old with growing kidney cyst
Questions in the Urology forum are answered by Dr. Stephen Liroff, affiliated with the Henry Ford Hospital. Topics covered include benign prostate disease, penis curvature, cystisis, kidney stones, pediatric urology, prostate, sexual dysfunction, urinary tract infections (UTI), and urological cancers.
3 year old with growing kidney cyst
by JM__0__0, Feb 18, 1999 12:00AM
My three year old had reflux surgically corrected when she was two. In a follow-up ultrasound her pediatric urologist found a cyst on her kidney that was growing. He knew it was growing because he returned to her pre-surgical films and found the previously undetected cyst, very tiny at the time.
I have read alot about kidney cysts (from your site and others) and it appears that simple kidney cysts in children are very rare. Is this true? Do you have any statistics on this subject? We hope that hers is a simple kidney cyst but also want to be well-prepared for dealing with the possibility or probability of polycystic kidney disease if necessary.
Thanks for your time.
I have read alot about kidney cysts (from your site and others) and it appears that simple kidney cysts in children are very rare. Is this true? Do you have any statistics on this subject? We hope that hers is a simple kidney cyst but also want to be well-prepared for dealing with the possibility or probability of polycystic kidney disease if necessary.
Thanks for your time.
Doctor's Answer
by hfhs M.D.-AK, Feb 18, 1999 12:00AM
Dear JM,
Cystic disease of the kidney represents one of the most frequent malformations found in pediatric autopsy material. In a series of postmortem examination of infants, 136/6521 had renal cystic disease (2%). Renal cysts are abnormal dilations of either renal tubules, ducts, or glomerular capsules or are diverticulum-like structures possibly in continuity with the nephron. All renal cysts originate from microscopic renal tubules by proliferation of renal epithelial (surface) cells and accumulate fluid. Renal cystic disease can involve both kidneys as in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease(APKD), one part of both kidneys as in medulary sponge kidney, or just one kidney or part of it as multicystic kidney. Finally, simple cysts can occur alone or together anywhere in the kidney.
If your child only has one cyst, she does not have APKD. I think periodic ultrasound examination is probably the best way to follow your daughters cyst. If at anytime the cystic make-up changes or it becomes septated, further studies may be necessary. The only reasons to drain the cyst would be pain or bleeding. If these do not occur, surveillance ultrasound is the way to go.
This information is provided for general medical educational purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition. More individualized care is available at the Henry Ford Hospital and its satellites (1 800 653-6568).
Sincerely,
HFHS M.D.-AK
*keyword:Cystic Disease
Member Comments
by mombeam, Apr 16, 2009 04:57PM
A related discussion, fetal kidney cyst was started.
