Kidney Function

Although definitive management of kidney cysts and tumors typically is performed by urologists, the initial diagnosis and longitudinal follow-up often are the responsibility of nephrologists. As such, understanding the natural history and spectrum of disease associated with kidney cysts is important to practicing nephrologists. We present the case of an incidentally detected renal cell carcinoma (RCC) on a biopsy of a native kidney and discuss therapeutic considerations in the management of cystic kidney lesions.