PKD
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PKD
abbreviation for polycystic kidney disease.
kidney disease, polycystic
,PKD
An inherited renal disorder transmitted as an autosomal recessive trait in infants and as an autosomal dominant trait in adults. PKD was previously termed adult polycystic kidney disease. It is characterized by cyst formation in ductal organs, particularly the kidney and liver, and by gastrointestinal and cardiovascular abnormalities. Included are colonic diverticula, cardiac valvular abnormalities, and intracranial and aortic aneurysms. Symptoms include hypertension, acute and chronic pain, and urinary tract infections. It is one of the most common hereditary disorders, occurring in about 1 in 400 to 1 in 1000 people. An estimated 500,000 persons have the disease in the U.S. It accounts for 10% of cases of end-stage renal disease. Treatment includes medical therapy for renal failure with eventual renal dialysis and renal transplantation.
polycystic kidney disease
,PKD
Any of several hereditary disorders in which cysts form in the kidneys and other organs, eventually destroying kidney tissue and function. The autosomal recessive form usually appears in early childhood; the autosomal dominant form usually develops later in life. Definitive treatments are dialysis and kidney transplant. Because cerebral aneurysms are commonly found in adults with PKD, patients with this disorder are often screened with computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging studies of the brain.