Angiographic and ultrasonic findings in infected simple cysts of the kidney.

This paper describes angiographic and ultrasonic findings in three patients with proven infected renal cyst. The clinical picture was that of inflammatory renal disease. B-mode ultrasonography showed the characteristic features of renal cyst; however, this technique cannot differentiate between infected and simple cysts. Selective renal angiography demonstrated the following, enabling differentiation from simple renal cyst; hypervascular rim, irregular inflammatory vessels, indistinct interface between cyst and adjacent parenchyma, and prominent capsular branches. Since percutaneous puncture of an infected renal cyst or abscess carries risk of infectious complications, angiography appears justified only for those patients with fever and flank pain who have cystic lesions in the kidney confirmed by echography.