Patient's question:
Last week, my sister-in-law told me she wants a child, but her mother told you that she has a family genetic disease, polycystic kidney disease, and she is afraid that her child will not be healthy. However, she is 31 years old and has not been thoroughly checked for this disease. Will the child inherit it across generations?Doctor's answer:
Polycystic kidney disease is not significantly related to age in color Doppler MRI. This disease is hereditary, and cysts are usually present at birth, but they are very small and difficult to detect. However, if there are cases of polycystic kidney disease in the family, early and careful examination should be conducted, and the growth of cysts should be closely monitored. Between the ages of 30 and 40, patients will experience rapid cyst growth, which is medically referred to as the growth phase. After the patient turns 40, the cysts will continue to grow and expand further. When the cysts are below 4 centimeters, this stage will be called the edema phase before cyst collapse.