Cyst Of Kidney Differential Diagnosis Table

Cyst Of Kidney Differential Diagnosis Table:

Kidney cysts are fluid-filled cysts or pouches that form inside or on the kidney. The exact cause of kidney cysts is not known but it may be genetic or due to a weakened kidney wall that leads to formation of a pouch.
There are two types of kidney cysts: either simple cysts or complex cysts. In general, kidney cysts don’t cause symptoms; in most cases, they are asymptomatic. But in some cases, they may cause back pain or obstruct kidney function. Unlike simple cysts, complex cysts are more dangerous because they have a risk of turning cancerous.
Kidney cysts don’t usually require any treatment, just monitoring and follow-up as long as they are asymptomatic. If symptoms occur, then drainage of the cyst or surgical removal may be required.
Diagnosis of kidney cysts depends on imaging diagnostic tools like CT scan or ultrasound.

How To Distinguish Cyst Of Kidney From Other Diseases

Distinguish Cyst of Kidney from Renal Cell Carcinoma – Diagnosis

Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney tumor. It usually occurs in men more than women. If the tumor is diagnosed in early stages, it can be treated with good prognosis, but if the tumor has metastasized, it has a low survival rate, especially since early diagnosis is difficult as the tumor is almost asymptomatic in early stages.

• Renal imaging like CT and ultrasound is the initial step for diagnosis to detect the presence of a mass.
• Renal biopsy is required for confirmation of malignancy and type of tumor.
• Renal function tests are routinely done to follow up if kidney function is affected by the tumor.

Distinguish Cyst of Kidney from Polycystic Kidney Disease – Diagnosis

Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disorder causing formation of clusters of cysts over or in kidneys. This condition usually runs in families. High blood pressure is the most common complication of the disease, and chronic pain and abdominal mass are also common. There’s no cure for polycystic kidney disease yet; treatment usually involves controlling symptoms.

• Renal imaging such as renal CT scan and ultrasound is initially used for detecting cysts.
• If diagnosis is not confirmed by imaging, a genetic test may be required. Also, in most cases, it’s not recommended since it’s expensive and not accurate in most cases.

Distinguish Cyst of Kidney from Renal Angiomyolipoma – Diagnosis

Renal angiomyolipoma is a type of noncancerous tumor, consisting of adipose tissue mainly. In most cases, renal angiomyolipoma is asymptomatic and harmless, but if they are large in size they may cause complications such as hematuria and flank pain. In most cases, this condition doesn’t require any treatment but if symptoms are present, surgical removal, ablation, or renal artery embolization may be needed.

• Usually the first step for detecting renal angiomyolipoma is during routine CT scan, MRI, or renal ultrasound, since most renal angiomyolipomas don’t cause any symptoms.
• If imaging detects any renal mass, renal biopsy may be required to confirm diagnosis since renal carcinoma may be suspected as well.

Distinguish Cyst of Kidney from Renal Abscess – Diagnosis

Renal abscess is the formation of a pocket of pus resulting from an infection. This condition can either be very mild if detected early, or very severe if detected late after symptoms progress and abscesses become bigger, causing blood infection. Treatment also varies according to severity, from treatment with antibiotics only to surgical drainage of abscess followed by antibiotic treatment.

• Renal imaging like renal ultrasound and CT scan is used to detect the presence of the abscess itself.
• If diagnosis is confirmed, a culture from pus itself is needed to guide treatment and choice of antibiotics. This is usually done after surgical drainage of abscess.
• Urine analysis and urine culture are routinely done since the origin of renal abscess itself can be from UTI that has developed into pyelonephritis followed by formation of abscess.
• Routine CBC and CRP are done to follow up on response of infection to treatment and progression of infection itself.
• Blood culture may be required too, to confirm or exclude bacteremia and sepsis.

Distinguish Cyst of Kidney from Hydronephrosis – Diagnosis

Hydronephrosis is a condition that affects the kidney, due to obstruction in urine flow leading to swelling in one or both kidneys. This condition can be mild and asymptomatic. It can be caused due to obstruction, kidney stones, or prostate dysfunction in men, but if left untreated it can lead to kidney failure. It can happen at any age, even in infants.

• Usually renal imaging like ultrasound and CT scan is used to detect blockage.
• Routine CBC and kidney function tests are done to follow up kidney function.
• In some cases, pelvic and rectal examinations are needed to detect underlying problems causing obstruction of urine flow.

Important Red Flags In Cyst Of Kidney

Kidney cysts are usually harmless and most patients don’t know they have them until regular check-ups, but a few red flags may require more monitoring and follow-up of the condition:
Presence of high fever, pain, and signs of infection. This means that the cysts may be infected and filled with pus, which will require immediate removal of cysts followed by treatment with antibiotics.
If CT or ultrasound shows a large cyst (especially bigger than 2.5 cm), or if the cyst grows fast, this may lead to obstruction of kidney function.
Presence of hematuria (blood in urine) may reflect that cysts have ruptured. This may require immediate surgical intervention.
Complex cysts type IV or higher are considered a big red flag since they have a high chance of turning malignant.