95% ethanol rinses combined with lauromacrogol injection versus lauromacrogol injection alone in the ultrasound-guided percutaneous sclerotherapy for simple renal cysts in elderly patients：Which is safer and more effective?

Background To compare the effcacy and safety of 95% ethanol rinses combined lauromacrogol injection and lauromacrogol injection alone in scleratherapy of renal cyst. Methods We retrospectively analysed 97 symptomatic Bosniak type I renal cysts between 2019 and 2023 underwent by US-guided percutaneous sclerotherapy. 23 cases were treated by lauromacrogol injection alone, and 74 were treated by 95% ethanol rinses combined lauromacrogol injection. All cysts were followed up at 1, 6 and 12 months after the procedure. Success was defined as cured or effective: >90% reduction or 50–90% reduction in cyst size, respectively. Failure was defined as < 50% reduction in cyst size. Intraoperative pain, fever, drowsy, and minor hematuria defined as complication were assessed within 3 days after the operation. Results The volume of renal cysts tended to shrink during follow-up. The total resolution rate and the cure rate was 96.9% (94/97) and 90.7% (88/97), respectively at 12 months. No significant differences in the reduction of volume reduction rate, resolution rate and cure rate were observed between the groups during follow-up (P > .05). The complication rates for ethanol combined group 58.1% (43/74) were higher than those for lauromacrogol alone group 17.4% (4/23) (P < .05). Ethanol was found to be significantly painful and prone to cause fever, even used to rinse the lumen of simple renal cysts before lauromacrogol injection . Conclusion Success of percutaneous scleratherapy of renal cysts can be obtained in two groups. However, the safety was much higher in lauromacrogol injection alone.