What Is Polycystic Kidney Disease? (PKD)
There are several types of polycystic kidney disease (PKD). This disease is either inherited or genetic and is referred to as “adult PKD” as it normally becomes apparent in adult life. This particular kidney disease isn’t just found in the kidneys, although the kidneys are the most severely affected. This disease has the ability to cause cysts to form in the kidneys, liver and believe it not elsewhere in the body.
These cysts are fluid filled pouches which form in clusters and are noncancerous. They will vary in size and as they accumulate additional fluid and can grow very large. Under normal circumstances, a kidney weighs less than one-third of a pound (three-quarters of a kilogram), while a kidney containing cysts can weigh as much as 20 to 30 pounds (9.1 to 13.6 kilograms).
What Causes Polycystic Kidney Disease?
As I mentioned earlier it is hereditary and the abnormal genes that cause polycystic kidney disease, will have been passed down to you from a family member. On a rare occasion, a genetic mutation can be the cause of polycystic kidney disease.
There are basically two types of polycystic kidney disease, both caused by different genetic flaws:
The first being Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD). Signs and symptoms of ADPKD quite often develop between the ages of 30 and 40 years. In the past, this was called adult polycystic kidney disease, but it is now known that children can develop the disorder. Only one parent needs to have this disease in order for it to be passed on to the children. If one parent has ADPKD, every child has a 50 % chance of getting the disease.
In a small amount of cases, somebody with ADPKD can have no known family history of the disease. However, it’s possible that someone in that affected person’s family actually did have the disease, but didn’t show any symptoms before dying of other causes. In a smaller percentage of cases where no family history is present, ADPKD results from a spontaneous gene mutation.
The second type of this disease is Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD). This is far less common than ADPKD. The signs and symptoms are different to ADPKD in as much as they often appear shortly after birth.
Sometimes, symptoms don’t appear until later in childhood or during adolescence. Unlike ADPKD, both parents must have these abnormal genes to pass this disease on. If both the parents carry a gene for this disorder, every child has a 25% chance of getting the disease.
What are the Symptoms of Polycystic Kidney Disease?
PKD is similar to fatty liver disease in as much as it’s not uncommon for people to have this disease for years without developing any signs or symptoms.
A common symptom of this disease is high blood pressure. Kidney failure is another common problem for people with polycystic kidney disease.
Other symptoms can be back or side pain, headaches, increased abdomen size, blood in the urine, kidney stones/infections.
If you have some signs or symptoms of polycystic kidney disease, see your doctor to determine what might be causing them. If you have a first degree relative, parent, sibling or child with polycystic kidney disease, you will need to see your doctor to discuss screening for this disorder.