How common are kidney cysts?
Up to 50 percent of people older than 50 years of age have kidney cysts. How are kidney cysts found? Almost all kidney cysts are found on tests that create a picture of your insides. These tests include ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT) scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams. A doctor may notice that the patient has a kidney cyst when he or she does one of these tests because of another problem. Benign cysts that are found when a doctor is looking for something else are called “incidental cysts.” If I have a kidney cyst, what will my doctor want to do? First, your doctor will ask if you’re having any problems such as pain on your side between your ribs and your hip, pain in your belly or back, a fever, frequent urination or blood in your urine. If you’re having any of these problems, your doctor will probably examine you and order lab tests. If you’re not having any of those problems and your kidney cyst is small, you may not need any treatment. Your doctor might want t
