Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)
As the name suggests, polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a condition that numerous fluid-filled cysts appearing in the kidney. Often running in families, it is an inherited disorder caused by gene mutations or gene defects. Nowadays, polycystic kidney disease is quite common in the United States, and it is the fourth leading cause that triggers kidney failure according to the research.
People with polycystic kidney disease do not experience any noticeable signs until kidney cysts grow 0.5 inches or larger. Afterward, initial symptoms start to manifest:
- High blood pressure
- Heart palpitations
- Brain aneurysms
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain
- Back pain or side pain
- Hematuria (blood in the urine)
- Frequent bladder or kidney infections
Left untreated, poly kidney disease could lead to kidney failure in some people. Hence, early diagnosis is necessary for prevention and treatment. Ultrasound, CT scan, and MRI scan are the most common tests for kidney cysts detections, among which ultrasound is the safest way without any radiation exposure. During an ultrasound, patients will be asked to lie down on a table with their diagnostic part covered with a special gel. The doctor will move a probe that transmits high-frequency sound waves into your kidney and record the waves that echo back. If there is an obstruction (kidney cyst), the doctor could see it on the sonogram. [2]
