Cystic kidney diseases | Malformations of the kidney

Cystic kidney diseases

A much more problematic malformation than, for example, a lowered or horseshoe kidney is cystic kidney disease, (cysts are generally hollow spaces filled with fluid) in which the kidney is interspersed with cysts, thereby disturbing the structure and thus the function of the kidney. This malformation often leads to kidney failure, which progresses slowly or rapidly depending on the disease. There are different types, which are classified by the Potter Classification and take into account both genetic and clinical factors.

Potter I manifests itself already in the newborn or infancy. Here both kidneys are affected and additionally the liver. The disease is so severe that those affected die in childhood.

Potter II is characterized by unilateral kidney infestation. The liver is not affected. The patients usually reach a higher adult age.

Potter III has the best prognosis among the cystic kidney diseases. Like Potter I, both kidneys and the liver are affected. However, the disease is less severe and usually does not manifest itself until adulthood.

In Potter IV, it is not so much the cysts that cause renal insufficiency, but rather a massive congestion in the renal pelvis caused by a narrowing. This already leads to problems during pregnancy. An indication of the disease can be an insufficient amount of amniotic fluid detected by sonography. Cystic kidney disease is distinguished from cystic kidney disease by cysts that can develop in the course of life and are usually completely harmless if they do not exceed a certain size. If the size of the cyst increases significantly, the danger of the cyst bursting must be considered.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of malformations of the kidney, can be made purely by chance in an ultrasound (sonography) with a completely different question due to missing symptoms. In the case of more serious malformations of the kidney, such as cystic kidney disease, the consequences resulting from renal insufficiency (e.g. imbalance in the mineral or acid and base balance, or high blood pressure, etc.) make one suspect a kidney problem.

An ultrasound makes changes such as cysts clearly visible. Other possibilities are the implementation of an excretion program.Here, a contrast medium is injected into the vein, which is then filtered through the kidney, so that the filling of the kidney and the ureters can be made visible through several X-rays. A bladder examination (urethrocystoscopy) can also help to diagnose malformations.