The Case of the Man with the Swollen Kidneys
Mr. Newman is a 49 year old male who has hematuria, fever and severe flank lumbar pain. Upon a physical exam he was noticed to also have bilateral lumbar tenderness, bilateral renal enlargement, liver enlargement, ankle and facial edema, skin pallor, and his lung sounds suggest pulmonary edema.
His vital signs are as follows: BP 172/100, heart rate 92, and a temp of 102.2 F. The results from the lab results are as followed: RBC 3.1 million, WBC 22,000, K+ 5.4 mEq/L, Ca 6.8 mg/dL, phosphate is 4.3 mEq/L, urea is 37 mg/dL, creatinine 2.0 mg/dL, albumin is 2.9 mg/dL, and pH is 7.29 after these abnormal labs a Chemistry Panel was drawn. Labe results of the Chemistry Panel are as followed: Protein 1.7 gm/24 hours, GFR of less than 30 ml/minute, and urine sediment showed presence of gram negative bacilli, presence of white blood cells, presence of red blood cells, and granular and waxy casts.
Mr. Newman had a genetic screening done that showed a mutation on Chromosome 16. This particular type of mutation results in the formation of an abnormal membrane protein called polycystic, which was inherited from one of his parents. The mutation takes place in 1 or 2 homologous chromosomes. Being as though Mr. Newman only has one copy the disease was able to lie latent for many years. As a result he now has two abnormal polycystin genes. Polycystin genes act as receptors for extracellular growth.
Cystic lesion has formed in Mr. Newman’s kidney. Cyst forms when cells in any region of the nephron divide rapidly. Proximal tubule cells have divided. Dilated segment fill with glomerular filtrate. The dilated segments grow until it eventually separates from the nephron; after it separates the cyst forms. A cyst has formed and it continues to grow. Cysts begin to secrete calcium and