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What Do Black Spots On Kidney Indicate?
Years ago an ex ray showed black spots on my kidney. I had severe pain in my lower right back radiating to my pelvis and they without a Ultrasound said it was a kidney stone. Is there any way that I have cysts on my kidneys? My abdomen remains swollen on the right side
Tue, 1 Aug 2023
Hello,
Pain in the lower back radiating to the pelvis is a typical sign of kidney stones. To know the site and size of stone, an ultrasound imaging is to be done. High speed or dual energy CT scan also helps in identifying stones. I would like to throw some light about dark and bright or light spots on kidneys:
1) When a dye is used during a scan, such as a CT scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), both dark and light spots on the kidneys could potentially indicate cancer. In these scans, the dye accumulates and shows up as a bright spot in places that may contain cancer.
2) If the dye is blocked from reaching certain parts of the kidney, those areas may appear as dark spots in the images.
3) This technique helps differentiate between tumors and cysts. The dye doesn’t collect in a cyst and only builds up in a tumor.
4) Usually, cancerous tumors in the kidneys are solid, which means that cancer will appear as a lighter spot on an ultrasound image.
5) Benign cysts in the kidneys tend to appear as black spots on an ultrasound because the waves pass through them and don’t bounce back.
6) So, as you have swollen abdomen and pain, you need to undergo the following:
a) Ultrasound imaging of abdomen including pelvis.
b) High speed CT scan
So, please do consult a nephrologist first for further evaluation.
Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Pallavi M., Anesthesiologist
Pain in the lower back radiating to the pelvis is a typical sign of kidney stones. To know the site and size of stone, an ultrasound imaging is to be done. High speed or dual energy CT scan also helps in identifying stones. I would like to throw some light about dark and bright or light spots on kidneys:
1) When a dye is used during a scan, such as a CT scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), both dark and light spots on the kidneys could potentially indicate cancer. In these scans, the dye accumulates and shows up as a bright spot in places that may contain cancer.
2) If the dye is blocked from reaching certain parts of the kidney, those areas may appear as dark spots in the images.
3) This technique helps differentiate between tumors and cysts. The dye doesn’t collect in a cyst and only builds up in a tumor.
4) Usually, cancerous tumors in the kidneys are solid, which means that cancer will appear as a lighter spot on an ultrasound image.
5) Benign cysts in the kidneys tend to appear as black spots on an ultrasound because the waves pass through them and don’t bounce back.
6) So, as you have swollen abdomen and pain, you need to undergo the following:
a) Ultrasound imaging of abdomen including pelvis.
b) High speed CT scan
So, please do consult a nephrologist first for further evaluation.
Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Pallavi M., Anesthesiologist
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