Bosniak classification
Read Your Scan Editorial Team·Last updated
Written from published radiology references and reviewed for plain language. Not written or signed by a physician, and not a diagnosis. How we write these pages →
In plain language
The scale used to sort kidney cysts by how simple or complicated they look on CT or MRI. The lowest categories are ordinary cysts needing nothing at all; higher ones have features — thick walls, internal divisions, enhancement — that earn follow-up or surgical review.
Where you’ll see this
The impression of an abdominal CT or MRI that mentions a renal cyst.
Your report may word it “Bosniak category”, “Bosniak II” or “Bosniak IIF”. These mean the same thing.
Questions worth asking your doctor
- What category did I get, and what does that category normally lead to?
- What is the recommended next step for this category — waiting, another scan, or a biopsy?
- Who decides the timing, and what should I do if my symptoms change before then?
Standard scoring systems
See this word on your own scan
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Read Your Scan is informational only — not a medical diagnosis, and not a substitute for a licensed radiologist or your doctor. If you have urgent symptoms, seek care.