Polycystic Kidney Disease Research Paper

Polycystic kidney disease is a disease in which numerous cysts grow in the kidneys. These cysts can slowly replace the kidney itself causing a reduction in kidney function and can lead to kidney failure. Polycystic kidney disease affects as many as 600,000 people in the United States alone (National Kidney Foundation). Polycystic kidney disease is divided into two main types of the disease, autosomal dominant PKD and autosomal recessive PKD (National Kidney Foundation). The two main types of PKD are genetic but there is a type of polycystic kidney disease that is from a gene mutation and not passed through genetics. Both types of PKD can lead to end stage renal disease or ESRD. Currently there is no cure for polycystic kidney disease but there
This form is passed from parent to child with dominant inheritance, which means that only one copy of the abnormal gene is needed to cause the disease (National Institute of Diaetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases). The chance of passing it on to the child is 50-75%. Typically this form of the disease develops later in life starting near ages 30-40 but can start as early as late teens. Autosomal recessive PKD is the rare form of polycystic kidney disease (National Institute of Diaetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases). This strand of PKD is passed from parent to child by recessive inheritance. The chance of passing this form of PKD to a child is 25%. Symptoms with this particular type of PKD begin in the earliest months of life, even in the womb. This type of PKD tends to be very serious, progressing rapidly, and is often fatal in the first few months of life. There is no cure for either type of this disease only treatments in the form of dialysis and kidney
Treatment options begin with management of symptoms including high blood pressure and diet. Other treatment options for those with polycystic kidney disease that end up with end stage renal disease is dialysis or kidney transplant. There are two main types of dialysis. The first is hemodialysis which is where blood is taken from the body and filtered through a machine and then put back in the body (John Hopkins Medicine ). This is usually done in a treatment center for four hours, three days a week. Average life expectancy on hemodialysis is 5-10 years. Peritoneal dialysis is a type of dialysis that cleans the blood inside the body (John Hopkins Medicine ). Surgery is performed to place a plastic tube called a catheter into the abdomen to make an access. The peritoneal cavity is filled with solution while the blood stays in the arteries and veins that line the peritoneal cavity. Extra fluid and waste products are drawn out of the blood and into the dialysate. This is either done manually or with a machine. The life expectancy of a person on peritoneal dialysis is around the same as hemodialysis. The last treatment option is a kidney transplant. There are two types of donor with kidney transplants, deceased and living. The average life expectancy with deceased donor is 5-10 years. Living donor’s kidney life expectancy varies. Some living donor kidneys can last as long as 20 years, others 5-15 years. There is not much data available