What does it mean to have an indeterminate right upper pole renal cystic lesion, numerous hepatic (liver) cysts and hemangiomas (benign tumors), and a splenic (spleen) cyst with no specific cause for hematuria (blood in urine)?

Understanding Your Indeterminate Renal Cystic Lesion and Other Findings

Your imaging findings show benign conditions that require follow-up with an MRI for the kidney lesion, but are not immediately concerning for cancer.

The Renal (Kidney) Cystic Lesion

• An "indeterminate right upper pole renal cystic lesion" means you have a fluid-filled growth in the upper part of your right kidney that couldn't be fully characterized by the current imaging 1.
• This type of finding is relatively common with increased use of imaging, and while most are benign, follow-up is needed to confirm this 2.
• The recommendation for MRI follow-up is appropriate because MRI is excellent at characterizing kidney lesions, with higher specificity (68.1%) than CT (27.7%) for distinguishing between different types of kidney masses 1.
• MRI is particularly useful for renal lesions because it can:
  • Better characterize small cysts under 1.5 cm 1
  • Detect subtle enhancement (blood flow) that might indicate cancer 1
  • Provide detailed information about the internal structure of cystic lesions 1

Hepatic (Liver) Cysts and Hemangiomas

• Liver cysts are fluid-filled sacs that are almost always benign (non-cancerous) 3.
• Hemangiomas are benign blood vessel tumors and are the most common non-cystic liver lesions 4.
• These findings are often incidental (found by chance) and typically require no treatment unless they cause symptoms like pain 2.
• The report indicates these are "redemonstrated," meaning they were seen on previous imaging and haven't changed, which is reassuring 2.

Splenic (Spleen) Cyst

• A splenic cyst is a fluid-filled sac in your spleen 4.
• Most splenic cysts are benign and don't require treatment unless they become large or cause symptoms 4.
• Like the liver findings, this is described as "redemonstrated," suggesting it's stable and likely benign 4.

Hematuria (Blood in Urine)

• The report states "no specific cause for hematuria is identified," meaning the imaging didn't show a clear reason for blood in your urine 1.
• Hematuria can have many causes including infections, kidney stones, or rarely tumors 2.
• Even though no cause was found on this imaging, your doctor may recommend additional tests to investigate the hematuria 5.

Next Steps

• Follow-up MRI is the most appropriate next step for your kidney lesion, as recommended in the report 1.
• MRI will help determine if the kidney lesion is:
  • A simple cyst (completely benign)
  • A complex cyst (may require monitoring)
  • A solid mass (may require biopsy or other intervention) 1
• The liver and spleen findings likely only need routine monitoring if they've been stable on previous imaging 3, 4.
• Your doctor may recommend additional tests to investigate the cause of blood in your urine 5.

Important Points to Remember

• Most indeterminate renal lesions turn out to be benign, but proper follow-up is important 6, 2.
• The American College of Radiology recommends MRI for further characterization of indeterminate renal masses 1, 7.
• If the MRI shows concerning features, a biopsy might be recommended, which is safe and accurate in 76% of cases 5.
• Having multiple cysts in different organs is not uncommon and most are benign 3.