Acquired Cystic Disease of the Kidney in Patients with End-Stage Chronic Renal Failure: A Study of Prevalence and Aetiology

Renal ultrasound scanning was performed in 100 patients withend-stage renal failure treated by both haemodialysis and continuousambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Each kidney was assessedfor the presence of acquired cystic disease and solid lesions.The appearances were divided into five grades from grade 0 (nocysts detected) to grade 4 (>15 cysts per kidney). Otherintra-abdominal organs were also scanned for the presence ofcysts. The findings were then correlated with possible aetiologicalfactors, including the type of dialysis used. Sixty-three percent of all the patients had acquired cysticdisease of the kidney (ACDK). No solid lesions were found andno cysts were detectable in other organs. The presence and gradeof ACDK did not correlate with the age or sex of the patient,the nature of the underlying renal disease, or the durationof chronic renal failure. There was a significant correlationbetween the grade of ACDK and the duration of both haemodialysis(P<0.001) and CAPD (P<0.01). The presence of residualrenal function did not influence the development of cysts. ACDKhad no effect on haemoglobin or other laboratory parametersmeasured.