Percutaneous treatment of large symptomatic renal cysts

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of alcohol in combination with tetracycli ne for the treatment of symptomatic renal cysts. Patients and Methods: Twenty-four patients age 45 to 77 years (mean 66 year s) with a large (5-13-cm; mean 7.5-cm) symptomatic renal cyst associated wi th flank pain were treated by aspiration under ultrasound guidance and inje ction of alcohol and tetracycline. Patients were followed with ultrasonogra phy at 1, 6, and 12 months and once a year thereafter. Results: The aspirated volume ranged from 65 to 1500 mt (mean 360.5 mt). Tw o patients experienced mild pain during alcohol injection, but the procedur e was completed successfully. One patient reported severe pain after tetrac ycline injection. The tetracycline was immediately aspirated, and the proce dure was then aborted. The remaining patients were relieved of their sympto ms after treatment, and they remained symptom free during a mean follow-up of 20 months (range 7-36 months). Conclusions: The combination of alcohol and tetracycline is safe and effect ive and offers a very favorable minimally invasive therapeutic alternative for the treatment of symptomatic renal cysts.