Incidental Finding of Unusually Large Renal Cyst During Point of Care Ultrasound

Renal cysts are common, and their frequency and size increase as patients age. Renal cysts are derived primarily from tubules and can occur anywhere between Bowman’s capsule to the renal papilla. The cysts are composed of abnormally differentiated epithelial cells encapsulating a cavity of fluid. These abnormally differentiated cells are due to defects in the structure and function of cilia, the structures responsible for detecting urine flow as well as the epithelial composition of the epithelial architecture and repair. According to Campbell Urology, there are three processes in which renal cysts increase in their size – proliferation of epithelial cells in the tubules, accumulation of fluid in the in the expanding tubule segment, and disturbed organization and or metabolism of the extracellular matrix. The latter includes imbalances of the secretory and absorption resulting in unusual accumulation of fluid in renal tubules. In this case report, we describe an unusually large renal cyst with mass effect found in patient during routine POCUS scan shift