Minocycline hydrochloride as a soft sclerotizing agent for symptomatic simple renal and hepatic cysts

F.M. Danza, M. Falcione, V. Bordonaro, A. Infante, A. Paladini, L. Bonomo

Diagnostic Imaging Area, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, School of Medicine, Rome, Italy. falcione.matteo@gmail.com

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• Pharmacology

OBJECTIVE: To present the results of our ten-year case series in simple hepatic and renal cysts sclerosis using minocycline hydrochloride as a sclerotizing agent, evaluating the effectiveness, the safety and the feasibility of this agent for percutaneous sclerotherapy for symptomatic cysts.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated our archives of patients treated (54 patients with 60 renal cysts, 21 patients with 24 hepatic cysts) for symptomatic abdominal cysts. These patients were treated with ultrasound guided drainage and subsequent minocycline hydrochloride instillation. In large or recurrent cysts, we repeated the treatment for the second time. The patients were evaluated at 6 and 12 months; some patients underwent later, additional examinations and we also reviewed these exams for any eventual long-term relapse.

RESULTS: The percentage of sclerosis success was found to be 100% for hepatic cysts and 86% for renal cysts. We also found that minimal complications were encountered.

CONCLUSIONS: Minocycline hydrochloride has proven to be an effective sclerotizing agent. In our cases, symptoms disappeared in 100% of patients with hepatic cysts and in 93% of patients with renal cysts. It is also a safe sclerotizing agent, as demonstrated by the few complications encountered. Percutaneous sclerosis with Minocycline hydrochloride is a very effective and promising nonsurgical treatment for patients with symptomatic simple cysts, and it can be performed without major complications.

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