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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Kidney cysts are round pouches of fluid that form in the kidneys. Kidney cysts can be associated with serious disorders that can impair kidney function. But more commonly, kidney cysts are a type called simple kidney cysts — noncancerous cysts that rarely cause complications.
It's not clear what causes simple kidney cysts. Simple kidney cysts typically occur as one cyst on the surface of a kidney. But simple kidney cysts can occur as multiple cysts affecting one or both kidneys.
Simple kidney cysts are often detected during an imaging test being done for another condition. Simple kidney cysts that don't cause signs or symptoms usually don't require treatment.
- Torres VE, et al. Cystic diseases of the kidney. In: Brenner BM. Brenner & Rector's The Kidney. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/linkTo?type=bookPage&isbn=978-1-4160-3105-5&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3105-5..X5001-4--TOP. Accessed March 30, 2010.
- McAninch JW. Disorders of the kidney. In: Tanagho EA, et al. Smith's General Urology. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=21. Accessed April 18, 2010.
- Simple kidney cysts. National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/cysts/index.htm. Accessed March 30, 2010.
- The kidneys and how they work. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/yourkidneys/. Accessed April 20, 2010.
- Castle EP (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. April 22, 2010.
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