Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a genetic kidney disease. It can be
inherited to children with 50% of chance for both girls and boys. There are
numerous cysts growing in patients’ kidneys. Some cysts can not be seen with
naked eyes. However, some can reach above 10 centimeters in diameter. If the
cysts have obvious enlargement, the patients can touch a mass on their
abdomen.
How does PKD occur?
PKD is an Autosomal Dominant genetic disease. It means that if one of parents
has PKD, every child has 50% chance of getting the disease. In another word, not
all people with the family history of PKD will certainly have the disease.
Some people may get PKD spontaneously. Among all patients with PKD, about 10%
of patients belong to this case. Spontaneous PKD is totally different from
genetic PKD, which can not be able to inherit to their children for the parents
do not have the gene that can cause the disease.
As there is no cure for PKD, many patients will develop Renal Failure if they
do not receive effective treatment in time. Among all PKD patients above 60
years old, about 50% of them will develop Renal Failure. As a result, they have
to depend on dialysis and kidney transplant to maintain their life.
Therefore, if there is the history of the disease, it is very important for
all of the family members to do ultrasound examination so as to find the disease
and receive treatment in the first time. If there are family members having
cerebral aneurysm, other family members should also do CT scan or magnetic
resonance imaging examination so as to make out whether they have the disease.
As once cerebral aneurysm ruptures, it can threaten patients’ lives. If they can
find it early and receive relative treatment, they can decline its danger to
themselves greatly.
What is the most important thing for patients with PKD is to receive
treatment at once when they are diagnosed with the disease. If so, they will be
able to get rid of the risk of developing Renal Failure.
