Polycystic kidney disease

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Kidney and liver cysts - CT scan

Liver and spleen cysts - CT scan

Cysts - kidneys; Kidney - polycystic; Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease; ADPKD

• Blood in the urine
• Flank pain on one or both sides
• Excessive urination at night
• Abdominal pain or tenderness
  • any part of abdomen
  • right upper quadrant
  • left upper quadrant

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease include the following:

• Nail abnormalities
• Painful menstruation
• Joint pain
• Drowsiness
• High blood pressure 

Examination may show high blood pressure, kidneys or abdominal masses (aggregations of cells) which are felt by touch during examination, abdominal tenderness over the liver (right upper quadrant), and enlarged liver. There may be heart murmurs or other signs of aortic insufficiency or mitral insufficiency.

• A urinalysis may show urine protein or blood in the urine.
• A CBC may show decreased or increased RBCs and hematocrit.
• Cerebral angiography may show associated aneurysms.

Polycystic kidney disease, and associated cysts on the liver or other organs, may be detected with the following tests:

• Abdominal ultrasound
• Abdominal CT scan
• Abdominal MRI scan
• IVP

In a family with several members with PKD, genetic linkage tests can be performed to determine with fair reliability whether a person at risk carries the PKD gene.

Review Date: 09/13/2005
Reviewed By: Robert Mushnick, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, SUNY Downstate Health Center, Brooklyn, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.