The Role of Choice-Lock Catheter and Trocar Technique in Percutaneous Ablation of Symptomatic Renal Cysts

BACKGROUND: The most common benign lesions of the kidney are simple cysts. They are acquired lesions and mostly affect the elderly population. OBJECTIVES: To describe the usage of choice-lock catheter and trocar technique in percutaneous renal cyst treatment and determining long-term outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was carried out between February 2000 and July 2011. Eighty-eight cysts all of which were Bosniak type-1 cysts were selected in 75 patients. The treatment indications were flank pain, hydronephrosis and hypertension. The choice-lock catheter was used for 84 cysts with the trocar technique. Ninety-five percent ethanol was used as the sclerosing agent. Maximum volume of the injected ethanol was 175 ml. The mean follow-up time after the treatment procedure was 23 months. Sixty-four cysts were located in the cortical and 24 cysts were located at the parapelvic region. RESULTS: Fifty-seven cysts had complete regression, while 31 cysts regressed partially. After the procedure, pain was relieved in 44 (82%) patients and the pain alleviated in four (8%). Normotension was obtained in five (62.5%) of the eight hypertensive patients and no hydronephrosis was detected in nine patients. There were no relationship between the localization and the regression rate. No major complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous ethanol sclerotheraphy in simple cysts is a safe, cost-effective and minimally invasive method. We consider that this technique may be an alternative solution in the percutaneous cyst treatment.