[Percutaneous alcoholization of simple serous cysts of the kidney]

Benign renal cysts are usually asymptomatic: They require a minimally invasive treatment if they cause complaints such as flank pain or other compressive complications. During a 6 month period, 14 patients were treated for benign renal cyst using an ultrasound guided puncture. Presenting complaints were flank pain (12 cases), hypertension (1 case), polycythaemia (1 case). Only cyst of 5 centimeters diameter or more were assigned to this treatment. After needle puncture, the cyst was evacuated and then filled with sterile 95% alcohol. Clinical and anatomical results, after 6 months, were good in 9 cases, 2 cases showed good anatomical results with persistence of initial symptoms, and there were 3 failures corresponding to large cysts of 10 cm diameter or more. Percutaneous alcoholization of moderate benign cysts is a safe, simple and reliable method.