[Cystic renal changes in chronic hemodialysed patients]

In this study we investigated the appearance of renal cysts in 43 chronic hemodialyzed patients using ultrasound (3.5 MHz-sector scanner). The mean age of the patients was 45 years, and the mean duration of dialysis was 26.3 months. In 21 patients (= 49%) cysts could be found. In 10 of these patients a former investigation at beginning of dialysis did not demonstrate any cystic lesions. The diameter of the cysts varied between 5 and 30 mm. Considering the duration of dialysis, in 9 (= 39%) out of 23 patients with a maximum duration of dialysis of 2 years cysts could be demonstrated by ultrasound, and in 12 (= 60%) of 20 patients, who had been dialysed for more than 2 years. The clinical impact of the demonstration of such cysts was recently reported in cases which developed complications like tumour formation or severe bleeding.