According to Suzanne Watnick, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine at the Oregon Health and Science University, in "Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment," autosomal dominant (adult) polycystic kidney disease is one of the most common genetic diseases. Five hundred thousand Americans suffer with this disorder. Fifty percent of them will be in kidney failure by the time that they are 60 years old. Ten percent of all people receiving dialysis are doing so because of this disorder.
Kidney Failure
Drew Cutler, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine, writes in "The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals" that in adult polycystic kidney disease you will develop multiple cysts in both of your kidneys. Usually you will not have any symptoms until you are an adult, but your kidneys will slowly become damaged. You may hemorrhage into the cysts. This will cause hematuria, or blood in your urine. As your kidneys become damaged, you will be susceptible to developing kidney stones as well as kidney infections. The blood vessels within your kidneys will become thick and hard. This, along with the cysts, can lead to hypertension. Your kidneys develop a lot of fibrous tissue within them. And you may develop so many cysts over time that both of your kidneys become very large. All of this kidney damage can lead to kidney failure.
Cerebral Aneurysm
An aneurysm is the name that is given to the section of an artery that has enlarged or "ballooned out." A cerebral aneurysm develops in one of the arteries in the brain. The aneurysm develops because there is a weakness in the wall of that artery. The weakness was either there at birth or it developed. Dr. Watnick writes in "Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment" that approximately 10 to 15 percent of people with autosomal dominant (adult) polycystic kidney disease have a cerebral aneurysm in the area of the cerebral blood vessels that is called the "Circle of Willis." People with this kidney disease are at a higher risk for developing cerebral aneurysms.
Mitral Valve Prolapse
Your heart has four areas called chambers. The two upper chambers are referred to as atria; the two lower chambers are called ventricles. The mitral valve is a valve between the left atrium and left ventricle. A mitral valve prolapse describes an abnormal mitral valve that collapses into the left ventricle instead of staying in its proper place. As explained by Paul Tanser, M.D., Professor of Medicine at McMaster University in "The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals," this disorder can be caused by several diseases including adult polycystic kidney disease.
Diverticulosis
Diverticula are small herniations or pouches that can develop in the wall of the large intestines. If these herniations become filled with feces, the feces can get trapped there and not be eliminated with the rest of the bowel movement. Diverticulosis is the word that describes having many diverticula. This is another consequence of adult polycystic kidney disease.
References
- "Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2009"; Stephen McPhee, M.D., Maxine Papadakis, M.D.; 2009
- The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals: Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease
- The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals: Mitral Valve Prolapse
