Comparison of acetic acid and ethanol sclerotherapy for simple renal cysts: clinical experience with 86 patients

Background: To compare the efficacy and treatment session numbers of acetic acid to that of ethanol sclerotherapy for the treatment of simple renal cysts. Between February 2004 and June 2013, 86 patients with simple renal cysts underwent percutaneous aspiration and injection of 50 %-acetic-acid (42 cysts) and 95 %-ethanol (44 cysts). The patient demographics, volume reduction rate, number of treatment sessions, and complications were then analyzed. Results: The volume reduction rate was 94.1 +/- 7.6 % in the 50 %-acetic acid group and 94.7 +/- 11.7 % in the 95 %-ethanol group, and without a statistical difference. The rates of complete remission, partial remission, and no response were 57.1, 42.9 and 0 %, respectively, for the acetic acid group, and 70.5, 25.0, and 4.5 %, respectively, for the ethanol group. No statistical difference was observed between the two groups. Compared to the acetic acid group, the ethanol group had a higher number of treatment sessions, i.e. 1.10 +/- 0.30 in the acetic acid group and 1.80 +/- 0.79 in the ethanol group. Mild flank pain was a minor complication that occurred in both groups. Conclusions: Acetic acid seems to have equivalent sclerosing effects on simple renal cysts compared with those of ethanol despites of fewer treatment sessions.