Last updated: May 18, 2026
This topic we will mainly paying attention on the simply benign kidney cyst. Because of the medical checkup has been promoted publicity and currently people they very significantly concern their health so much, consequently, health promotion center in the big hospital will in trend for now. Tons of patients coming for their medical health checkup regularly, ultrasonography of the abdomen is one of the modalities which included in the package program. Kidney cyst is one issue that incidentally found and detected from the ultrasonography and pushed the patients to see me at the Urology clinic.
Kidney cyst is the most common lesion of the kidney.
They are approximately presented up to 5% in normal population. More than 25% prevalence in patients older than 50 years old, and up to 40% regularly of medical checkup will incidentally reported on kidney cysts. You can notice that it is an aging-related issue all; the kidney cyst mostly developed from nonfunctioning kidney tissue which getting more when we are getting old.
If we are going to tell you a little deeper about this according to the natural history, there have been several kinds of cysts which described in the textbooks, changes from benign to malignancy. Nearly 100% of kidney cysts are a silence condition so we often saw and detected the kidney cysts especially from the medical checkup imaging. Positively is that the ultrasound application in this moment will be able to give us enough data in order to clarify whether which one is benign and which one is malignancy. But is not meaning that all patients need to do the definite investigation for that – a CT scan with contrast.
When patients meet urologist, a full medical history plus physical examination and the investigations will documented. The details from the imaging on the kidney cysts for example clear or turbid cyst content, size, number and location those are the important information for the prospect follow-up strategy. The important message we must tell patient on the benign kidney cyst is, it will never and ever turn to be a malignancy (Less than 1% the literature has confirmed the malignancy turning point). If patients didn’t experience any cyst-related symptoms for example flank pain or bloody urination, we do nothing beside a regular imaging surveillance.
In general, if there still the kidney cysts, either way they will slowly growing up. So question will coming up like; when do we need to do something? The annoying cyst-related symptoms will be the key point. There are several papers have had mentioned about kidney cysts removal operation if the cyst’s diameter is big like 8 cm, and it will obtain a great clinical outcome and less recurrent rate.
Kidney cyst is a common issue that needs a mutual good understanding between patients and doctors. A regular imaging is required to maximize the clinical outcome. To receive more information related, please discuss with your trusted urologist or would be honor if you text me. Take care and stay safe.
If you have been told you have a kidney cyst from a medical checkup and would like specialist urological evaluation, Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone offers specialist consultations at Bangkok Hospital Headquarters. Book a Consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kidney Cysts
A kidney cyst is a fluid-filled sac that forms on or within the kidney. Most kidney cysts are simple (benign) cysts and are non-cancerous. They are commonly discovered incidentally during abdominal ultrasound in routine health checkups.
The vast majority of simple kidney cysts are benign and not cancerous. Less than 1% of simple kidney cysts have any malignant potential. However, complex cysts with internal features such as septations, calcifications, or solid components require further evaluation with a CT scan and specialist consultation.
Most simple kidney cysts do not require treatment. If the cyst causes no symptoms such as flank pain or blood in the urine, the standard approach is watchful waiting with periodic imaging surveillance. Treatment is considered only when the cyst becomes large, symptomatic, or shows suspicious features.
Follow-up frequency depends on the size and characteristics of the cyst. Simple small cysts may be monitored annually or every 1–2 years with ultrasound. Your urologist will advise the appropriate surveillance interval based on your individual case.
Surgery is recommended when a kidney cyst causes persistent symptoms such as flank pain, becomes very large (typically over 8 cm in diameter), causes urinary obstruction, or shows features suspicious for malignancy. Minimally invasive laparoscopic cyst decortication is the preferred surgical technique in such cases.
Disclaimer: This content is written and reviewed by Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone, a board-certified urologist at Bangkok Hospital Headquarters. It is intended for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any medical treatment.
Medically written & reviewed by: Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone (Dr. Pom) — Board-Certified Urologist, Bangkok Hospital Headquarters. International Fellow: Baylor College of Medicine (USA) · Juntendo University (Japan) · Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (Taiwan).
Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone (Dr. Pom) is a board-certified urologist at Bangkok Hospital Headquarters, specializing in Men’s Health, Robotic Surgery (Da Vinci System), and Kidney Stone treatment. He has completed international fellowships at Baylor College of Medicine (USA), Juntendo University Hospital (Japan), and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (Taiwan). All medical content on this site is written and reviewed by Dr. Soarawee based on his clinical experience and international training.
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