How is PKD Diagnosed?
Currently, the best method to diagnose PKD in living cats is by ultrasounding the kidneys. Other radiological modalities have been used, but have proven to be generally less accurate and more costly. However, even the most skilled sonographer using the best equipment cannot be 100 percent accurate in diagnosing PKD via ultrasound, since the resolution afforded by ultrasound is not sufficient to detect very small cysts. Histopathological examination of frozen sections of the kidneys is virtually 100% accurate, but typically cannot be done on live cats. In humans, I’ve seen references to examining biopsy specimens using histopathology, but have never heard of this being done on cats. However, if a nephrectomy is done on a diseased kidney (removal of the kidney), which does occur in cats, the removed kidney could certainly be examined by histopathology.
If you have symptoms of PKD or if you are at risk of the disease, your doctor may want you to have an ultrasound exam to look at your kidneys. An ultrasound exam provides a picture of your organs by passing sound waves through your body. An ultrasound exam can detect cysts in your kidneys. Your doctor may order a CT (computerized tomography) to look for cysts in the kidney.
PKD is most easily diagnosed by ultrasound, which can identify the disease very early in its course. All that is required is a mid-ventral abdominal area hair-clip and a short time period for imaging to detect the possible presence of cysts. It takes a few minutes, with little or no sedation needed. It is very important that experienced personnel and proper equipment perform the ultrasound! When so, ultrasound diagnosis is 98% accurate after approximately 10 months of age. The frequency of the transducer has to be 7,5 MHz – 10 MHz, with a greyscale of 256. The higher frequency, the better details. A DNA-test for ADPKD in cats is not available at this time. What does this disease cause in cats? Polycystic Kidney Disease is a slowly progressive disease. It clinically shows up later in life (late onset), with enlarged kidneys and kidney dysfunction on average at seven years of age. The condition is inherited and cysts are present from birth. The size of cysts can vary from less than one m
Who should be checked for PKD? Is there treatment for PKD? Can PKD be diagnosed in unborn babies? Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Printer-friendly version Email this article Spanish / Español What is polycystic kidney disease? Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is an inherited disease that affects the kidneys. Sacs of fluid (called cysts) grow in the kidneys. If too many cysts grow or if they get too big, the kidneys become damaged. The cysts may also cause pain or may get infected. PKD is the most common inherited disease in the United States. Children of parents with PKD have a 50% chance of getting the disease. Return to top How will PKD affect me? Most people with PKD can lead a normal life. In many people, the disease is mild and causes only minor problems. PKD is more severe in some patients and can cause kidney failure. About 60% of patients develop high blood pressure, which can be treated with blood pressure medicine. About 50% of patients with PKD have kidney failure by age 60.
Ultrasound is the most reliable, inexpensive and non-invasive way to diagnose PKD. If someone at risk for PKD is older than 30 years and has a normal ultrasound of the kidneys, he or she probably does not have PKD. Occasionally, a CT scan (computed tomography scan) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) may detect smaller cysts that cannot be found by an ultrasound. MRI is used to measure and monitor volume and growth of kidneys and cysts. At present, PKD cannot be diagnosed by a single blood test. However, in some situations where it is important to have a diagnosis (for example, if a family member wants to donate a kidney to an affected parent or sibling, and ultrasound and CT scans are normal), special blood tests on at least three family members can be done to get a diagnosis in the at-risk individual. This form of testing is called gene linkage analysis.
