Volume Progression in Polycystic Kidney Disease

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by progressive enlargement of cyst-filled kidneys. A magnetic-resonance–based method was used to determine the rates of change in total kidney volume and cyst volume and iothalamate clearance over a three-year period in patients with ADPKD without azotemia. Higher rates of kidney enlargement were associated with more rapid decreases in renal function. A magnetic-resonance–based method was used to determine the rates of change in total kidney volume and cyst volume in patients with ADPKD. Higher rates of kidney enlargement were associated with more rapid decreases in renal function. Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common renal disorder involving a single gene and the fourth leading cause of end-stage renal disease in adults. 1 , 2 Renal cysts contribute to morbidity and can impair the quality of life early in the course of the disease. Pain and gross hematuria are reported in approximately 60 percent of patients. 3 , 4 ADPKD ultimately leads to the destruction of renal parenchyma in more than 50 percent of patients. 5 – 9 Serum creatinine levels rise late in the course of the disease, only after the noncystic parenchyma has incurred serious, irreversible damage. The lack . . .