Renal Dysplasia: Macroscopic

Macroscopic Features: In multicystic kidney dysplasia, the kidneys are misshapen and don’t retain reniform shape. The normal renal architecture is completely replaced by thin-walled cysts of varying sizes, filled with serous fluid. The changes may be unilateral (90% of cases), bilateral, or segmental (e.g. confined to the upper pole with a duplicated collecting system). There is no cortico-medullary distinction and a collecting system is absent. The cut surface may not show any identifiable renal parenchyma and just consist of thin-walled cysts separated by a scant amount of interstitial tissue.