Polycystic Kidney Disease

There are two types of PKD:
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease or ADPKD and Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease or ARPKD

ADPKD is generally a late-onset (or develops in adulthood) disorder. It is a systemic disease with cysts in other organs such as the liver (which may lead to cirrhosis), seminal vesicles, pancreas, and arachnoid mater and non-cystic abnormalities such as intracranial aneurysms and dolichoectasias, dilation of the aortic root and dissection of the thoracic aorta, mitral valve prolapse, and abdominal wall hernias.
Symptoms include Hypertension, fatiuge, pain in the lower back area (can be mild to severe), and urinary tract infections.Often this disease leads to End Stage Renal Failure and will require dialysis.

ARPKD is rarer than ADPKD and is usually fatal during the first month of life, or even before. Sometimes the symptoms don't appear until early adolescence. Both parents must carry the abnormal gene for the child to develop this version.

High blood pressure is a common complication of polycystic kidney disease. Untreated, high blood pressure can cause further damage to your kidneys and increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Loss of kidney function
Progressive loss of kidney function is one of the most serious complications of polycystic kidney disease. Nearly half of those with the disease have kidney failure by age 60, and up to 75 percent will have kidney failure by age 70. If you have high blood pressure or blood or protein in your urine, you have a greater risk of kidney failure.

Polycystic kidney disease causes your kidneys to gradually lose their ability to eliminate wastes from your blood and maintain your body's balance of fluids and chemicals. As the cysts enlarge, they produce pressure and promote scarring in the normal, unaffected areas of your kidneys. These effects promote high blood pressure and interfere with the ability of your kidneys to keep wastes from building to toxic levels, a condition called uremia.

As the disease worsens, end-stage kidney (renal) failure may result. When end-stage renal failure occurs, you'll need ongoing kidney dialysis or a transplant to prolong your life.

Other complications of polycystic kidney disease may include:

Pregnancy complications. Most women with polycystic kidney disease can have an uneventful pregnancy. Others may develop a life-threatening disorder called preeclampsia. Those most at risk are women who have high blood pressure before they become pregnant.

Growth of cysts in your liver. The likelihood of developing liver cysts for someone with polycystic kidney disease increases with age. More than three-quarters of people with PKD develop liver cysts at some point in their lifetimes. While both men and women develop cysts, women often develop larger cysts and get them at an earlier age. Cyst growth appears to be aided by female hormones. Liver cysts are more frequent in women who've been pregnant.
Development of an aneurysm in your brain. Localized enlargement of an artery in your brain can cause a hemorrhage if it ruptures. Aneurysms tend to run in families and are present in between 4 percent and 10 percent of people with polycystic kidney disease.

Heart valve abnormalities. As many as one-quarter of adults with polycystic kidney disease develop mitral valve prolapse. When this happens, the valve no longer closes properly, which allows blood to leak backward.

Colon problems. You may develop hernias, and pouches or sacs in the wall of the colon (diverticulosis).

Chronic pain. Pain is a common symptom for people with polycystic kidney disease. It often occurs in your side or back.
This information from MayoClinc.org

There is currently no cure for PKD. However, Patients do have a few options available to relieve symptoms.

Kidney Failure Kidney Failure can be treated by dialysis or kidney transplant, with varying degrees of success, depending on the patient.

Kidney pain Kidney pain is caused by several things, including kidney stones, cysts, and bleeding.Controlling blood pressure and avoiding trauma may help prevent bleeding episodes. A healthy diet and high fluid intake may help prevent kidney stone formation. Early treatment of urinary tract infections may also help prefect infection of cysts.
Pain may also be caused by the distortion of the kidney, caused by large cysts.If the pain is caused by a small number of cysts, it may be possible to remove the fluid from the cysts using a small catheter placed through the skin. Afterwards, the cysts can be injected with a substance that keeps fluid from re-accumulating. If the pain is caused by a large number of cysts, a surgical procedure to remove the walls of the cysts may be helpful. While the need for surgical treatment is rare, surgery is successful at relieving pain in 70 percent of patients who undergo the procedure.

Bladder Infections and Kidney Stones Infections and stones can damage the kidney, so early treatment is advised. Most infections can be treated successfully with antibiotics, and depending on the size of the stone, treatment may also be available.

For more information on treatments, please visit the Mayoclinic.org