Feeling terrified - can exclude mass on kidney ultrasound

[naturemumma]

That should say can't!

Long story short. I'm a bit of a worrier - particularly about health - and as I'd had some right sided abdominal pain, I booked myself in for a private ultrasound. Nothing found on the right side where the pain is. Then to the left kidney. When the radiographer looked at my left kidney, she couldn't get a brilliant image because of the bowel. I think as a result, she put the doppler on and found that there's something that's causing the veins to be splayed. She said it could be normal for me (but looked quite concerned) - something to do with some congenital type difference in kidneys I think. But, basically, it could also be a mass. Because she couldn't rule a mass out she said I need further imaging. My Drs have been great and I'm now going for a CT scan this week. I've had one ultrasound of my kidneys before a couple of years ago. Again, they couldn't get a good picture of the left kidney (and don't think they did the doppler thing), but they did't mention anything, so I don't think this is boding well.

I don't know why I'm writing this because no-one can change anything, I just feel so anxious and can't tell anyone in RL yet (apart from my husband) because I don't want to worry anyone. Cancer has always been my biggest fear and now it feels like it's happening and I'm really not dealing with it well :(

I’d be worried too - cancer terrifies me as well and I definitely have HA. It’s interesting this issue has been there a while - if so it’s unlikely to be sinister. I really hope the Ct results are positive x

Thanks SpottyCrumpet. I’ve had quite a few episodes of anxiety in the past, but HA has hands down been the worst. Sorry you’re suffering too x

Bump

4 years ago I had an ultrasound on my upper digestive organs as I suffer from digestive issues and was experiencing pain.

She said something was on my left kidney but said not to worry, so I didn’t.

Three weeks later, out of the blue, I received a phone call from the ct scanning department to say I had to come in that afternoon for an urgent ct scan. I asked what it was about and they said they didn’t know only it was on my kidney and was requested by an oncology urologist! I went into a major panic.

Had the ct scan, no one could tell me anything. This went on for 3 further weeks, me ringing everywhere I could and no one having any answers.
In the end I paid privately to see the urologist. Turned out to be a very large kidney cyst (larger than the actual kidney) and it also had a septation through it and because of this anomaly they wanted to check it for around 3 years.
The urologist was lovely and reassured me it was ok, he did say that kidneys can have many strange things appear on or near then and as as you say, many are born with benign issues which they are totally unaware of and it is only highlighted when they have a scan for something completely different.

Good luck op, I totally understand your concerns, a have terrible health anxiety.

I've had many (private) scans and ultrasounds but the radiographer/sonographer NEVER discusses results on the spot ever. The report is sent to the consultant and s/he then dicusses with me. I don't think they are qualified to interpret results as they are not doctors or something.

Have you had any blood tests? If kidney function is ok it’s very unlikely to be anything sinister. I have a large duplex kidney which means it has two pipes going into it instead of just one. It would have appeared as an anomaly but is perfectly benign.

Anatomical "variations" in kidneys seem to be very common, or maybe that's just my family & people I meet. Never been cancer yet.

This is reassuring!

Thanks Haggis. That's interesting. Yes, I have actually - a full blood test. I don't know if that test kidney function. One of the liver enzymes was borderline so I had to have that redone, but haven't had the result yet.

I've had a few private ultrasounds too, but they always have told me there and then. To be fair though, I've never had anything come up before. She didn't diagnose anything, she just said it could be normal for me, but it was unusual and so I should have further imaging. She told me about some kind of variant that can cause it (but I can't remember what she said), I said, what else can cause it and she said, well, a mass. She couldn't refer directly so she had to give me the paperwork to take to my Dr and the ultrasound images so to be fair to her, I'm glad she said something because otherwise I'd have just read it and felt even worse.

I had a friend who had kidney cancer and it was only discovered with routine blood test. I think kidney function is usually affected if anything is wrong with kidneys. Liver enzymes can be weird from infections -am sure it’s all fine. I understand the worry though.

That sounds like a really scary few weeks for you. I'm so glad you got answers, terrible that you had to go through all of that to get them though. Thanks so much for sharing your experience.

Thanks Haggis :) All of the other blood test results were normal so fingers crossed that's a good sign.

Just in case it’s useful to anyone in future - CT scan came back fine. Apparently just a normal variation in kidneys.

That's great news

Phew!

Hi! How are you? Can I ask you how are you doing? So you had a complex cyst with septation and it’s turned to be nothing serious?I am in same position now like you

@Picklemeyellow hi! How are you and your cyst now? I got cyst too