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Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)
Over 600,000 Americans have polycystic kidney disease (PKD). This genetic disease causes many cysts to grow in the kidneys. Over time, these cysts damage the kidneys and can even lead to kidney failure.
How is PKD different from simple kidney cysts?
Who is at risk for PKD?
How can I prevent PKD?
Are there different kinds of PKD?
What are the symptoms?
How will I know if I have PKD?
What can I do if I have PKD?
More Information
How is PKD different from simple kidney cysts?
It is normal for our kidneys to develop small, fluid-filled cysts as we age. These are called simple kidney cysts and are almost always benign (not harmful). In contrast, PKD occurs when a genetic disease causes cysts to form and grow out of control and overrun the kidneys. These cysts can slowly damage the kidneys and, in some cases, cause the kidneys to fail.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of PKD may include:
But, not everyone with PKD has these symptoms. If you think that you may be at risk for PKD, talk to your doctor about being checked for the disease.
How can I prevent PKD?
Nearly all PKD cases are due to an inherited disease and cannot be prevented. Instead, treatment focuses on slowing damage caused by the disease. See What can I do if I have PKD? for more on this.
Who is at risk for PKD?
PKD is found in men and women of all races equally. Because it is a genetic disease, a person is more at risk for having PKD if one of his/her parents has the disease. People of all ages can have PKD, but usually does not appear until adulthood. In other words, a child may have PKD but not show any signs.
Are there different kinds of PKD?
There are three types of PKD. Two are genetic and make up the majority of PKD cases.
Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD)
This is the most common type of PKD and is caused by a dominant gene. If a person has this gene, he/she has a 50-50 chance of passing it on to a child. Often, signs of the disease will not appear until adulthood, which is why some call it “Adult PKD”.
Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD)
This type of PKD is much less common than ADPKD. In ARPKD, there is a recessive gene that causes the cysts to form. Because the gene is recessive, a child has only a one-in-four chance of inheriting the disease, even if both parents carry the trait.
In rare cases, the gene will mutate while a fetus is developing. If this happens, a child can develop PKD even if neither parent has the gene.
ARPKD tends to appear very early, sometimes even before birth. The severity of the disease can vary. Children with the disease may have trouble developing. These children may need special nutrition or growth hormones.
Acquired Cystic Kidney Disease (ACKD)
This type of PKD is caused by kidney damage or scarring and not genetics. Most dialysis patients will develop ACKD after several years of treatment. Other diseases that slowly damage the kidneys may also lead to ACKD.
How will I know if I have PKD?
If you are having symptoms of PKD or think that you may be at risk for the disease, talk to your doctor. For all types of PKD, doctors will use ultrasound, MRI or CT imaging to look at the cysts. Your doctor may also ask about a family history of PKD to determine your level of risk.
Genetic tests are available if ADPKD is suspected, but they may be of little use. There is no cure for PKD. A genetic test cannot tell when the disease will present or how severe it will be.
What can I do if I have PKD?
Unfortunately, there is no cure for PKD yet. Keeping your blood pressure in check, eating a low-sodium (low-salt) diet and preventing (or controlling) diabetes will help to prevent any more damage to the kidneys. This will help to lower the risk of kidney failure.
If cysts cause pain, your doctor may recommend over-the-counter pain relievers or suggest surgery to reduce the size of the cysts. Surgery may also be an option if bleeding is a problem.
More Information
American Academy of Family Physicians
http://familydoctor.org/653.xml
Kidney and Urology Foundation of America
http://www.kidneyurology.org/Patient_Resources/PaR_Lib_KidneyCysts.htm
National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse
http://www.kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/polycystic/index.htm
National Kidney Foundation
http://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozItem.cfm?id=102
PDF: http://www.kidney.org/atoz/pdf/polycystic.pdf
PKD Foundation
http://www.pkdcure.org/site/PageServer
UK National Kidney Federation
http://www.kidney.org.uk/Medical-Info/kidney-disease/cysts.html
Page Updated: 1/10/2008 | 
