Dark spots that appear on kidney ultrasounds can represent cysts, abscesses, issues with blood vessels or kidney cancer. You will have to consult with your doctor to conclude what the dark spots actually represent and if further tests need to be taken.
If a cyst is found on your kidney and there have been no serious complications then treatment is rarely needed, however, if symptoms have been caused from the cyst then a procedure may have to be carried out. If the cyst presents itself as quite large then a surgical operation may have to be done in order to destroy the cyst. Usually in this case, a laparoscope is used to insert a small incision which will drain the cyst and remove it from its outer tissue. Another procedure commonly used is from the use of an ultrasonography which guides a needle to the cyst so it can be drained and replaced with an alcohol solution in order to harden the tissue.
In some cases the dark spot may represent cancer which means a form of local therapy would be needed to treat the cancerous cells. A nephrectomy is an operation that takes place to remove the kidney, and there are many different types of nephrectomies depending on what stage of severity the tumour is in. A common therapy that is used to shrink the tumour is known as arterial embolization which is sometimes carried out before an operation to makes things easier during the procedure. It is also used when surgery is not possible. The process involves a narrow tube that is inserted into a blood vessel in the leg and passes up to the main blood vessel which is supplying blood to the kidney. Then, a substance is injected into the blood vessel to stop the flow of the blood into the kidney, therefore presenting the tumour from receiving oxygen and other substances it needs to spread.
If a cyst is found on your kidney and there have been no serious complications then treatment is rarely needed, however, if symptoms have been caused from the cyst then a procedure may have to be carried out. If the cyst presents itself as quite large then a surgical operation may have to be done in order to destroy the cyst. Usually in this case, a laparoscope is used to insert a small incision which will drain the cyst and remove it from its outer tissue. Another procedure commonly used is from the use of an ultrasonography which guides a needle to the cyst so it can be drained and replaced with an alcohol solution in order to harden the tissue.
In some cases the dark spot may represent cancer which means a form of local therapy would be needed to treat the cancerous cells. A nephrectomy is an operation that takes place to remove the kidney, and there are many different types of nephrectomies depending on what stage of severity the tumour is in. A common therapy that is used to shrink the tumour is known as arterial embolization which is sometimes carried out before an operation to makes things easier during the procedure. It is also used when surgery is not possible. The process involves a narrow tube that is inserted into a blood vessel in the leg and passes up to the main blood vessel which is supplying blood to the kidney. Then, a substance is injected into the blood vessel to stop the flow of the blood into the kidney, therefore presenting the tumour from receiving oxygen and other substances it needs to spread.
