Polycystic Kidney Disease has 3 types, different types onset at different
age. They are Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD), Autosomal
Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD), Acquired Cystic Kidney Disease
(ACKD).
If you are diagnosed with ADPKD:
In normal condition, Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) develops rapidly in
one’s 30s, so many patients are diagnosed with PKD after 30 years old. Now you
are 36 year old, your renal cysts are enlarging rapidly. If you have the PKD
genes, you have a great chance to feel the development of the disease.
If you are diagnosed with ARPKD:
This type is much less common than ADPKD. In most cases, this disease usually
occurs in children or even babies. About half the affected children can not
survive to the adulthood, so this disease is known as “infantile PKD”. Even
though the child may live longer, they mostly develop into serious kidney
failure in their adulthood. So it is rarely that you get ARPD in such a elder
age (31).
If you are diagnosed with ACKD:
This type of PKD is induced by kidney damage or scarring rather than
genetics. Most patients get the ACKD several years after the dialysis. So if you
are on dialysis or you have other disease that slowly damage the kidney, you
have a chance to get the disease at your 30s.
In normal condition, especially in ADPKD, patient’s condition worsens quickly
in their 30s. If they can not control the renal cysts in the period, usually
they will enter the renal failure more than 5~10 years earlier.
Many treatments can help control the rapidly-progress stage. But you should
avoid the treatment that cause trauma to your kidneys. In this stage, your
kidneys are very fragile. Any trauma can increase the risk to kidney functions
decline, leading to acute kidney failure.
