Sonography of hemorrhagic cysts with computed tomographic correlation

Hemorrhagic cysts have a potential for malignancy. The sonographic appearance is not pathognomonic. Three cases of benign hemorrhagic renal cysts defined sonographically demonstrate a varied appearance. Computed tomography, angiography, and aspiration offer additional clarification, but surgery is the procedure of choice for a definitive diagnosis, because aspiration of a septated lesion may fail to define malignant cytology in a separate compartment and, in addition, cytologies can be falsely negative.