Anatom3D
ENCZDE
Download

Polycystic kidney disease

Morbus renum polycysticus · Polycystická choroba ledvin

What it is

Thousands of cysts replace the kidneys over decades; the commonest inherited kidney disease.

Symptoms & signs

  • Flank pain
  • blood in urine
  • high blood pressure young
  • abdominal fullness
  • kidney stones
  • family history

🚩 Get help if…

  • call 112 / 911 now Sudden worst-ever headache
  • see a doctor soon Sudden severe pain in the side or back, or blood in the urine
  • see a doctor soon Fever with pain in the side
  • see a doctor soon Passing less urine, swollen ankles or high blood pressure readings

Where it strikes

Medical treatment

  • Tolvaptan slows decline (by about 1 mL/min of kidney function a year; heavy thirst, liver-injury risk)
  • blood-pressure control
  • treat infections and stones
  • dialysis or transplant eventually
  • genetic counselling

Natural & lifestyle

  • 2.5–3 L water a day
  • salt restriction
  • avoid contact sport with large kidneys
  • caffeine moderation

Emerging & experimental

  • Somatostatin analogues
  • metformin trials
  • ketogenic-diet studies

Alternative, off-label & anecdotal

Approaches used outside the guidelines, with what their supporters report and what testing has found so far.

  • Ketogenic and time-restricted diets — small studies of slower growth early / small studies
  • Curcumin — a trial in young people found no effect on kidney growth not confirmed in trials

ICD codes