Simple renal cyst and abdominal aortic aneurysm.

OBJECTIVE

To summarize the association of simple renal cyst (SRC) with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), we reviewed currently available clinical studies with a systematic literature search and meta-analytic evaluation.

METHODS

To identify all case-control studies evaluating the association of SRC with AAA, databases including MEDLINE and Embase were searched through April 2015 using web-based search engines (PubMed and Ovid). For each study, data regarding SRC prevalence in both the AAA and control groups were used to generate unadjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals. When an adjusted OR (by the use of multivariable logistic regression) was available, we preferentially abstracted the adjusted OR rather than an unadjusted OR.

RESULTS

Of 139 potentially relevant articles screened initially, 5 eligible case-control studies enrolling a total of 2897 participants were identified and included. A pooled analysis of seven estimates from the five studies demonstrated a statistically significant 2.54-fold prevalence of SRC in patients with AAA relative to subjects without AAA (OR, 2.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.93-3.34; P < .00001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our meta-analytic evaluation demonstrated 2.5-fold prevalence of SRC in patients with AAA relative to subjects without AAA, which suggests that SRC is associated with AAA.