Renal Masses, Lesions and Cysts

Renal masses, lesions and cysts are a group of tumors that can be cancerous or benign and occur in the kidneys. About 70% of these renal masses are benign and filled with fluid that does not typically produce any noticeable signs or symptoms. These types are usually found by accident during imaging for a completely different reason.

When a mass (or masses) are found, the most important thing to do is to find out if it is cancerous or not. MRI’s, CT Scans, and ultrasounds are able to tell if the mass is benign or cancerous. A benign cyst that has not caused any problems is typically left alone as no further treatment is really needed and would be unnecessary for the patient. Patients may schedule follow up visits to keep an eye on the mass to ensure that no changes are occurring. However, if a physician has reason to suspect that the mass is indeed a danger to the patients’ health, more imaging tests are done to look deeper into the situation and a surgical procedure may be in order to destroy the mass before it can affect the healthy tissue that surrounds it. These surgical procedures are generally laparoscopic, reducing the pain that is associated with the procedure and allowing for quicker healing time.