A condition in which the kidneys develop fluid-filled sacs called cysts, it is known as acquired cystic kidney disease. This condition is different from polycystic kidney disease, which is another condition that causes kidneys to develop multiple cysts.
Who is at risk?
The condition usually occurs in adults and children who suffer from:
Chronic kidney disease: It is a condition that develops over many years and can cause end-stage kidney disease. Individuals who suffer from this condition usually have kidneys which lose their ability to filter wastes, extra salt and fluid from blood properly.
End-stage kidney disease: This condition causes total and permanent kidney failure that demands kidney transplant or blood-filtering treatments usually referred as dialysis.
Causes of acquired cystic kidney disease
The cause of development of cyst in acquired cystic kidney disease is yet to be understood fully by the researchers. Development of cyst only in the kidneys and not in other parts of the body indicates that the processes that lead to the formation take place primarily inside the kidneys.
Dialysis filters out many, but not all, of the wastes that healthy kidneys remove. Researchers believe that an unidentified waste product not removed through dialysis causes cysts to form in the kidneys. Dialysis itself does not cause the cysts.
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