title: Percutaneous treatment of large symptomatic renal cysts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of alcohol in combination with tetracycline for the treatment of symptomatic renal cysts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four patients age 45 to 77 years (mean 66 years) with a large (5-13-cm; mean 7.5-cm) symptomatic renal cyst associated with flank pain were treated by aspiration under ultrasound guidance and injection of alcohol and tetracycline. Patients were followed with ultrasonography at 1, 6, and 12 months and once a year thereafter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The aspirated volume ranged from 65 to 1500 mL (mean 360.5 mL). Two patients experienced mild pain during alcohol injection, but the procedure was completed successfully. One patient reported severe pain after tetracycline injection. The tetracycline was immediately aspirated, and the procedure was then aborted. The remaining patients were relieved of their symptoms after treatment, and they remained symptom free during a mean follow-up of 20 months (range 7-36 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combination of alcohol and tetracycline is safe and effective and offers a very favorable minimally invasive therapeutic alternative for the treatment of symptomatic renal cysts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Patras School of Medicine, Greece.
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Liatsikos
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Siablis
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karnabatidis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kalogeropooulou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Triadopoulos
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Petsas
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tsota
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ravazoula
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Barbalias
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D000431:Ethanol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D052177:Kidney Diseases, Cystic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D013396:Suction; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D013752:Tetracycline