A kidney cyst is a round-shaped benign neoplasm limited to a capsule. This pathology is considered one of the most commonly diagnosed renal tumors, which is found in 70% of patients. In this article we will talk in more detail about how the disease manifests itself in the fair sex.
general information
The term "cyst" primarily implies a pathological formation, or rather, a cavity of small size, filled with fluid and framed by connective tissue. In the process of growth, it can increase significantly.
A kidney cyst in women, as a rule, is a congenital pathology. However, in medical practice there are cases when the disease was formed due to a prolonged inflammatory process in this organ.
The mechanism of development of this ailment is quite simple. It is formed due to a violation of the normal outflow of urine through the so-called renal tubules. As a result, there is an expansion of the nephron due to accumulated urine. The immune system responds to such changes and limits the accumulated fluid to a capsule of connective tissue. A neoplasm cannot independently resolve or disappear.
Causes of kidney cysts in women
This pathology can be congenital, and in some cases acquired. A congenital cyst can be caused by two groups of causes:
- Hereditary predisposition. Pathology is characterized by the occurrence of a mutation in the genetic material, resulting in a gradual fusion of the renal tubules with the direct formation of a cyst.
- Congenital pathology. In this case, no genetic changes are observed. However, due to the action of various factors on the fetus (alcohol, toxins, intrauterine infection), the renal tubules are incorrectly formed.
As for the main reasons for the formation of the acquired disease, here experts distinguish the following:
- Chronic kidney infections (e.g. pyelonephritis).
- Hypertonic disease.
- Age (in people over 60 years of age, the ailment is diagnosed several times more often than at a young age).
- Tuberculosis of the kidneys.
- Urolithiasis disease.
Clinical picture
For a long time, a woman may not notice any obvious signs of the disease. This is due to the small size of the neoplasm. The first symptoms occur only when the cyst begins to increase in size, squeezing nearby organs. Below we list only the most common of them.
- Painful discomfort in the lumbar region, which only intensifies with sudden movements or after lifting weights.
- The presence of bleeding in the urine.
- Arterial hypertension.
- Temperature rise.
- An increase in the size of the organ, which is easily determined by palpation.
If a woman's immunity is weakened, an infection can join the disease and provoke inflammation. In this kind of situation, patients, as a rule, note frequent urination, regular pain in the lower back, general weakness throughout the body.
Treatment of kidney cysts in women should begin immediately after the onset of primary symptoms and a diagnostic examination. In the absence of adequate therapy, chronic renal failure may develop. This pathology is mainly manifested by frequent urges to urinate, thirst, and increased blood pressure. If the cyst has reached impressive size by this time, it can compress not only nearby organs, but also important vessels. This situation, in turn, over time entails atrophy of the affected organ.
Disease classification
Depending on the causes and mechanism of development, the following types of pathology are distinguished:
- Polycystic kidney disease. This disease is of hereditary nature, characterized by the formation of numerous neoplasms of small size.
- Solitary (simple) cyst. Pathology is a single cavity formation. The disease develops mainly unilateral in nature. More often, a cyst of the left kidney is diagnosed. In women, the disease for a long time may not be manifested by clinical signs, but when it reaches a large size, the likelihood of developing complications increases.
- Parenchymal cyst. The neoplasm is localized in the thickness of the kidney tissue. For a long time, symptoms may not occur. If the tumor size exceeds 5 cm, surgical treatment is required.
- Sinus cyst. It is a cavity formation localized in the sinus of an organ.
- Complex cyst. In this case, under one connecting capsule is a small multi-chamber cavity with liquid inside. The treatment is exclusively surgical.
- Subcapsular cyst. The size of the formation is usually small. Complications are extremely rare, can be treated by puncture using an ultrasound device.
- Parapelvical cyst. The cyst of the right kidney is more common. In women, this disease is diagnosed very rarely, mainly after the age of 50 years.
Categories of cystic neoplasms
- I category. It includes benign formations, which are easily detected by ultrasound.
- II category. These are cysts of a benign nature with minor changes.
- III category. Neoplasms prone to malignancy. They are characterized by thickening of the membranes and membranes, rarely detected during x-ray examination. In this case, a cyst on the kidneys in women requires urgent surgical care.
Establishing diagnosis
The disease is detected and subsequently confirmed exclusively by instrumental and laboratory examination. The latest diagnostic option includes:
- Analysis of urine.
- A blood test (an increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate is a clear sign of the onset of an inflammatory process in the body).
- Biochemical blood test (a change in creatinine indicates the development of renal failure).
Instrumental diagnosis of cysts on the kidney in women implies:
- Ultrasound (allows you to detect the presence of a cavity formation).
- CT and MRI (the study helps to identify the localization of the cyst and its size as accurately as possible).
- Excretory urography (X-ray version of the study using a contrast medium).
Conservative treatment
Drug therapy is prescribed only to reduce the unpleasant symptoms of kidney cysts in women (pain, high blood pressure). Recommended drugs to kill the infection and normalize the salt balance in the body. Inhibitors of angiotensin-converting enzyme are used to reduce blood pressure. Long-term courses prescribed antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin, Tetracycline, Levomycetin).
Surgical intervention
With simple cysts, that is, of an uncomplicated nature, experts most often recommend drainage, followed by emptying the contents of the formation. The procedure is carried out under the constant supervision of an ultrasound machine. A needle is very slowly inserted into the cyst itself, through which all fluid is pumped out of the formation. Then the cavity is treated with a special sclerosing substance, with the help of which its walls are gradually glued.
In some cases, when the cyst is large or oncological in nature, a nephrectomy (organ removal) is performed.
Treatment with laparoscopic surgery is currently the most less traumatic way to remove a tumor. Initially, the surgeon introduces gas substance into the operated field to expand it and increase the space for subsequent manipulations. Then a laparoscope and trocars are connected to the work. After removal of the cystic formation, the doctor removes all the tools, sutures.
Traditional medicine and kidney cyst in women
Treatment with our grandmothers' prescriptions cannot be taken as an alternative to conservative therapy or surgery. Herbal medicine should be resorted to only as a supplement to the main course of treatment; you must first consult your doctor. Below we list the most common traditional medicine tips.
- Pine nuts. It will take half a glass of nutshell and 0.5 liters of water. The shell must be boiled for an hour. The resulting infusion should be taken 70 ml three times a day before meals. The course of treatment is approximately 4 weeks.
- Burdock leaves. The leaves of the plant must be ground in a meat grinder, transferred to a jar and refrigerated. Such a medicine is recommended to take one teaspoon twice a day for a month, then you should take a break.
- Yeast. In a three-liter jar, you need to put a tablespoon of the most common yeast, 30 g of grated elecampane root and two tablespoons of granulated sugar. This mixture should be left in a warm place for two days, and then consumed 100 times three times a day. The course of treatment is limited to one month.
Diet and its role in the treatment of the disease
With such a pathology as a cyst on the kidneys in women, in addition to conservative therapy and surgical intervention, a special diet is also recommended. It implies special nutritional principles, among which are:
- Limiting the amount of salt consumed. This principle is recommended for those patients in whom the disease provokes impaired renal function.
- Control over the amount of fluid you drink. This rule applies to those representatives of the fair sex, in whom the pathology is accompanied by the appearance of edema, symptoms of heart failure, high blood pressure. If the neoplasm is not supported by such signs, the amount of fluid should not be limited.
- Refusal of junk food. This category includes fried and greasy dishes, smoked meats, pastries, alcoholic beverages.
- Limiting protein intake. If these substances enter the body in large quantities with food, the probability of the release of nitrogen metabolic products is very high. They are very toxic and negatively affect a weakened body.
Kidney cysts in women oblige to comply with the above diet. However, dietary restriction is not the only true way to combat pathology. Comprehensive health care and compliance with all recommendations by the attending physician is the key to a quick recovery.
Complications and consequences
In the absence of timely treatment of a cyst on the kidneys in women can lead to the development of very unpleasant consequences, the main of which is its rupture. In this case, its contents begin to pour into the abdominal cavity, which inevitably leads to its inflammation.
Suppuration is much less often diagnosed. In this kind of situation, patients note weakness throughout the body, increased pain in the lower back and a sudden increase in temperature. This condition absolutely always requires immediate surgical intervention.
As another complication of the disease, the degeneration of the neoplasm into a malignant tumor can be called.
Prevention
How to prevent the development of cysts on the kidneys in women? In order not to encounter this serious enough disease, experts strongly recommend timely treatment of all ailments, including inflammatory ones. If possible, it is important to avoid hypothermia, regularly undergo a full diagnostic examination.
Conclusion
This article provides information on the topic "Symptoms and treatment of kidney cysts in women." Despite the high incidence of this disease, you should not be afraid of it. Timely diagnosis and strict adherence to all the doctor's recommendations allow you to forget about such a pathology forever. Be healthy!