Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney : Treatment

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) - Treatment: There is no cure for ADPKD. The treatment aims to reduce the complications and delay the onset of renal failure. Hypertension (seen in almost 60% of patients) is treated aggressively to reduce renal damage and decrease the risk for cardiac events or rupture of an intracranial aneurysm. Recurrent urinary tract infections, which are common in these patients, are promptly treated. When conservative measures fail to relieve pain, surgical interventions such as CT-guided cyst aspiration or unroofing and drainage of larger cysts can be done laparoscopically or by open procedures. Nephrectomy is performed for symptomatic patients with end-stage renal disease. In patients who succumb to the disease, the cause of death is coronary heart disease or sequelae of hypertension (40% of patients), infection (25%), and intracranial hemorrhage from ruptured berry aneurysm or secondary to hypertension.

This image shows cysts separated by septa of variable thickness. The thicker septa contain residual renal parenchyma.