Association between renal function and simple renal cyst growth: a retrospective study

Simple renal cysts (SRC) are associated with a high incidence of proteinuria and renal insufficiency. However, the effects of renal function, particularly estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), on SRC size remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact of renal function on SRC size.

This retrospective study included 502 patients diagnosed with SRC from Sir Run Run Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, between August 2019 and February 2022. Among them, 185 patients were followed up. SRC size and growth were monitored by B-ultrasound. The relationship between eGFR levels and SRC size/growth was analyzed by linear regression and logistic regression analysis.

We found that patients with lower eGFR had significantly larger SRC sizes and higher growth rates. Low eGFR level was associated with increased the risk of larger maximum SRC volume. Furthermore, eGFR level was also negatively correlated with the growth rate of SRC. Multivariate analysis revealed that low eGFR levels were related to larger size and faster growth of SRC.

Renal function, as measured by eGFR, was inversely associated with both the size and growth rate of SRC. Monitoring renal function in patients with low eGFR could help in early detection and management of SRC growth.