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Currently, no treatment can prevent the cysts from forming or enlarging. Treatment goals are the reduction of symptoms and prevention of complications.

Hypertension may be difficult to control, but control of it is the most important aspect of treatment. Treatment may include antihypertensive and/or diuretic medications, low salt diet, or other treatments.

A urinary infection should be treated promptly with appropriate antibiotics.

If there are symptoms of anemia, it may be treated with iron and other supplements, erythropoietin administration, or blood transfusion.

Surgical or radiologic drainage of cysts may be indicated because of pain, bleeding, infection, or obstruction. (There are usually too many cysts to make cyst removal a feasible alternative.)

Surgical removal of one or both kidneys may be required. Treatment of end-stage kidney disease may include kidney dialysis or kidney transplantation.

Prognosis

Polycystic kidney disease progresses slowly but persistently. Medical treatment may provide relief of symptoms for many years. Eventual end-stage kidney failure is common.

The absence of systemic disease or autoimmune disease makes people with polycystic kidney disease good candidates for kidney transplantation.

Complications

hypertension
anemia
recurrent urinary tract infection
recurrent kidney infection
kidney stones
kidney failure, mild to severe
end-stage kidney disease
bleeding or rupture of cysts
infection of liver cysts
liver failure, mild to severe

Call Your Health Care Provider If:

Call your health care provider if symptoms indicate polycystic kidney disease may be present.

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if there is a family history of polycystic kidney disease or associated disorders and children are planned. Genetic counseling may be offered because of the pattern of inheritance of the disorder.

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