Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Microscopic Cyst Resection for the Treatment of Patients Diagnosed with Epididymal Cyst
03:10

Microscopic Cyst Resection for the Treatment of Patients Diagnosed with Epididymal Cyst

Published on: March 31, 2023

11.9K

Clinical significance of incidentally discovered renal cysts in pediatric patients

Ariel Botwin1, Teerasak Phewplung1,2, Kaiming Wu1

  • 1Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.

Abdominal Radiology (New York)
|April 12, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric renal cysts can indicate autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Imaging features like multiple or bilateral cysts, large size, and growth on follow-up suggest higher ADPKD risk, warranting further evaluation.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nephrology
  • Radiology
  • Medical Genetics

Background:

  • Renal cysts are occasionally found incidentally in children.
  • Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a genetic disorder causing cyst development in the kidneys.
  • Determining the significance of incidental renal cysts in pediatric patients is crucial for early ADPKD diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the clinical importance of incidentally discovered renal cysts in pediatric patients.
  • To identify imaging characteristics that predict the presence of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD).

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of radiology reports from 2000-2016.
  • Inclusion criteria: patients <18 years with renal cysts and ≥1-year follow-up imaging.
  • Exclusion criteria: cysts with clear solid mass components.

Main Results:

  • 84 pediatric patients with renal cysts were identified; 76 had incidentally discovered cysts.
  • ADPKD was diagnosed in 7.9% of incidentally discovered cysts versus 100% in those with a family history.
  • Increased cyst size, multiplicity, bilaterality, and growth on follow-up imaging were associated with higher ADPKD incidence.

Conclusions:

  • Incidental renal cysts in children carry a risk of underlying autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD).
  • Imaging predictors such as bilaterality, multiplicity, large size, and size increase on follow-up suggest elevated ADPKD risk.
  • These findings underscore the need for diagnostic evaluation when such imaging features are present.
Abstract

Keywords:
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney diseaseImagingIncidentalPediatricRenal cystRenal malignancyUltrasound

More Related Videos

Direct Drug Delivery to Kidney via the Renal Artery11:18

Direct Drug Delivery to Kidney via the Renal Artery

Published on: April 17, 2021

8.2K
Whole-body PET/MRI of Pediatric Patients: The Details That Matter10:02

Whole-body PET/MRI of Pediatric Patients: The Details That Matter

Published on: December 19, 2017

15.3K

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
214
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution01:17

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight,...
276
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism01:24

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism

In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses...
203
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
262
Statistical Significance01:50

Statistical Significance

Once data is collected from both the experimental and the control groups, a statistical analysis is conducted to find out if there are meaningful differences between the two groups. A statistical analysis determines how likely any difference found is due to chance (and thus not meaningful). In psychology, group differences are considered meaningful, or significant, if the odds that these differences occurred by chance alone are 5 percent or less. Stated another way, if we repeated this...
21.2K
Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation01:29

Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation

Although not a source of energy, cholesterol plays a significant role as a foundational structure for bile salts, steroid hormones, and vitamin D, as well as being a crucial component of plasma membranes. Approximately 15% of blood cholesterol is derived from our diet, with the remainder synthesized from acetyl CoA by the liver and intestines. Cholesterol is eliminated from the body through its conversion into bile salts, which are eventually discarded in the feces.
Considering cholesterol and...
1.3K