In medical practice, quite often there are cysts on the kidneys, multiple and single. Such a pathology can be detected both in a child and in an adult. Often the patient does not even suspect that he has a cyst on the kidney, since it does not in any way affect his well-being. But if the neoplasm begins to grow, then it can adversely affect the filtering function of the kidneys.
What it is
The kidneys are designed to remove toxic substances from the body, to filter blood and retain vital components. Cysts can form even during fetal development or under the influence of adverse factors at any age.
The size of the neoplasms can vary from one millimeter to several centimeters. The greater the number of cystic formations, the higher the risk that kidney function will be impaired, and this will cause a decrease in the volume of blood that is filtered in the renal tubules.
International classification
According to ICD-10, the kidney cyst has a classification code: N 28.1, which is attributed to other diseases of the genitourinary system.
Congenital pathologies are in the subcategory Q 61.0, and unspecified diagnoses in the category Q 61.9.
Danger of neoplasms
What is the danger of multiple cysts in the kidneys? First of all, neoplasms can lead to the fact that in the body due to a decrease in the efficiency of the organ, the water-salt balance in the body is disturbed. And this will cause the fluid to enter the intercellular space and the person will begin to suffer from edema.
Cysts often lead to overloading of blood vessels. At first, this is manifested by swelling, then blood pressure rises on a stable basis. Pressure instability can cause a heart attack.
Cysts can provoke the appearance of pathogenic microflora, against which the inflammatory process and pyelonephritis begin. If the capsule of the cyst ruptures, then peritonitis will most likely develop and extensive bleeding will begin.
One of the common complications in the presence of multiple kidney cysts is hydronephrosis. Pathology is characterized by compression of the ureters, as a result of which the kidneys can completely atrophy. If the cysts grow significantly, then it is possible that the abdominal pressure will increase, which will inevitably lead to disruptions in the genitourinary system and gastrointestinal tract.
The most dangerous complication is renal failure, which can begin against the background of the rapid growth of the organ.
And these are not the only complications that can occur against the background of the presence of a cyst. Therefore, it is very important to timely diagnose and investigator the instructions of the attending physician.
However, medicine knows cases of self-disappearance of a cyst, but this is extremely rare.
Symptoms
Multiple kidney cysts in 70% of cases are not felt, the pathology is almost asymptomatic. In other cases, the pathology manifests itself in the form of a dull pain in the lower back or hypochondrium, which increases after physical exertion. In some patients, volume tumors can be palpated by palpation in the kidney. There may be an increase in blood pressure and / or blood in the urine.
The intensity of pain depends on the location and size. However, all symptoms can only indirectly indicate that a problem is present.
Cyst in the kidney: causes
Injuries can cause neoplasms. The risk increases if the injury was with a ruptured parenchyma or had a hematoma.
What causes cysts on the kidneys? Most often, the problem is inherited. If at least one parent has neoplasms on the kidneys, then there is a big risk that the child will also have them.
Other provoking factors include:
- inflammatory processes in the kidneys, for example, glomerulonephritis or pyelonephritis;
- tuberculosis;
- urolithiasis disease.
A cyst may appear against the background of constant hemodialysis procedures.
Men are also at risk if they are diagnosed with prostate adenoma. This pathology leads to obstruction of the urinary tract, as a result of which stagnation of urine occurs, the pelvis dilates, and a cyst appears.
Kinds
Most often, simple cysts are found. These are single-chamber cavities with serous content. Such neoplasms can be found immediately on both kidneys.
Other types:
- Multicystic is a congenital pathology that develops even at the stage of embryonic development.
- Polycystic These are multiple kidney cysts that appear due to a genetic predisposition and over time, neoplasms grow and lead to organ atrophy.
- Multilocular. This is a rare phenomenon, therefore pathology is very poorly studied, most often it occurs in the female half of the population. May appear at any age.
- Solitary. A cyst may appear on the left kidney or on the right, contains serous fluid, is not connected with the collector system of the organ.
- Parapelvic neoplasms are formed at the sinus of the organ or in the pelvis. In fact, this is a kind of simple cyst.
Neoplasms are also distinguished according to the time of appearance: congenital or acquired.
Diagnostics
When confirming or refuting the presence of multiple cysts of a single left kidney or in any other cases, standard examination procedures are carried out:
- roentgenography;
- excretory urography;
- nephrotomography, etc.
However, these methods do not always give positive results. More accurate techniques include angiography or isotopic techniques. X-ray tomography is considered the “Gold Standard”; the reliability of such a study is almost 100%. The technique allows you to detect neoplasms that reach a diameter of 5 mm.
However, no one refuses an ultrasound examination. The technique allows to determine the parietal component of neoplasms. The examination does not cause inconvenience to the patient, there is no need to prepare for it and the procedure is easy to carry out. Ultrasound is recommended for screening tests. In some cases, cyst puncture may be recommended.
Therapeutic measures
Cyst in the kidney: what to do? The good news is that in 70% of cases, the pathology does not require any treatment, but the patient will need to undergo an ultrasound examination regularly to be able to observe the development of neoplasms. Surgery is not necessary if the lesions do not exceed 5 mm in diameter, are located on the periphery of the organ and do not interfere with the filtration function of the kidneys.
If the problem bothers the patient, the neoplasms grow, then a surgical operation can be performed. Due to the fact that the kidneys are not a tissue formation, drug treatment is not carried out.
Indications for surgery
Multiple cysts of the kidneys: what to do and when will have to lie "under the knife"? Surgery will be recommended in the following cases:
- rupture of the neoplasm cavity;
- hypertension
- large sizes of cysts;
- rapid growth of tumors;
- cyst hemorrhage;
- if the cyst compresses the organ parenchyma;
- erythremia;
- cancer in the cyst;
- punctured blood;
- blood in the urine.
To date, there are three types of operations:
- Puncture with sclerotherapy. Such an operation is performed under ultrasound control.
- Laparoscopic excision.
- Laparoscopic resection of the damaged part of the organ.
Sclerosis is performed in cases where isolated cysts are observed. However, puncture very often leads to relapse and again has to undergo surgery.
An open excision of a simple cyst is carried out in those cases when there is suppuration or the neoplasm is torn. If there is a suspicion that the tumor may turn into a malignant, a complete resection of the damaged kidney may be recommended.
Rehabilitation period
Under any circumstances, every surgical intervention is a huge stress for the whole body. If we are talking about resection, even partial, then such an operation in any case will adversely affect the general condition of the patient. Indeed, the absence of even a part of the organ violates the balance in the internal environment of the body.
It is recommended that the patient fully comply with all the recommendations of the doctor in the recovery period so that relapse does not occur.
If a non-invasive intervention was performed, then the patient will stay in the intensive care unit for only a few hours. After this, the patient will have to be in the hospital for about 7 days. After band operations, the intensive care unit will have to stay for 14 days.
For some time that only a doctor can determine, the patient will have to wear a bandage. To maintain muscle tone, light gymnastic exercises must be started in bed. Very often, doctors recommend breathing exercises.
Lifestyle after diagnosis
If you have a cyst of the left kidney or the right, you will have to adhere to some rules throughout your life:
- avoid emotional overload;
- take a walk in the fresh air more often;
- do not lift weights;
- regularly undergo follow-up examinations, the frequency of which should be determined by the attending physician.
In addition, you will have to adjust the diet, or rather reduce the amount of salt consumed to a minimum.
If, in addition to the cyst, the patient has high blood pressure or there are obvious signs of heart failure, it is necessary to control the amount of fluid consumed in order to prevent the appearance of edema.
Depending on the condition of the kidneys, the doctor may recommend lowering the amount of protein consumed. Protein breakdown products adversely affect the condition of the kidneys,
There are no restrictions on staying in direct sunlight for patients with such a pathology.
Prevention
Alas, to date, there are no preventive measures to prevent the appearance of cysts on the kidneys. However, this does not mean that you can consume salty foods in unlimited quantities, refuse to engage in sports and not monitor your own weight. An important factor in maintaining kidney health is the lack of promiscuous sexual contact. Indeed, it is against this background that infectious diseases of the genitourinary system often appear, which can cause the appearance of cysts on the kidneys.
Conclusion
Multiple cysts of the kidneys can appear at any moment of life, even during the period of intrauterine development. Pathology can cause the development of more serious diseases, and can occur throughout life without any obvious symptoms. Since the disease often occurs against the background of a genetic predisposition, in the presence of such a pathology, at least one of the parents of the child should be examined regularly, and this should be done from birth.