Most PKD patients do not have clinical symptoms in the early stage. While in
end stage, due to cysts as well as increasing cyst internal pressure and
infections, most patients can get the following symptoms:
1. Albuminuria: generally, protein content in urine is tiny, no more than 2g
each 24 hours. Nephrotic Syndrome seldom occurs.
2. Abdominal masses: this is also the main reason why patients do to hospital
for a check. Enlarged kidneys can be touched among 60% to 80% PKD patients.
Normally, the larger kidneys are, the lower renal function is.
3. High Blood Pressure: cysts compress kidneys, which can lead to renal
ischemia and increase renin secretion, causing High Blood Pressure. When renal
function is normal, more than 50% patients can get High Blood Pressure. This
number can be much higher when renal function declines.
4. Haematuria: this symptoms can be expressed by microscopic Haematuria and
gross Haematuria, occurs periodically. Patients usually feel really painful when
Haematuria appears, and this pain can be more serious after strenuous exercise,
trauma and infection. There are a large amount of arteries under cyst wall. Due
to growing pressure or complicated infection, blood vessel of cyst wall can
bleed for excessive tensility.
5. Renal function decline: growing cysts will replace and compress normal
renal tissue, which can reduce healthy renal tissue obviously, causing
progressive decline of renal function.
6. Pain or discomfort on waist and abdomen: kidney enlargement can increase
tensility of renal capsule. Besides, more cysts in kidneys can increase water
content of kidneys, which can make kidney heavier, leading waist pain.
