title: Acquired cystic disease of the kidneys in chronic hemodialyzed and renal transplant patients.
abstract: In this study, the appearance of renal cysts in 43 chronic hemodialyzed patients (mean duration of dialysis treatment: 26.3 months) was investigated by sonography with a high resolution (3.5 MHz) sector scanner. In an investigation of the patients' own kidneys, 23 renal transplant patients (mean observation time: 51.3 months after transplantation; mean dialysis treatment before transplantation: 22.8 months) were also studied by sonography. Cysts could be demonstrated in 21 of 43 (49%) patients on maintenance hemodialysis. In 10 of these patients a previous investigation at the beginning of dialysis did not demonstrate any cysts. The diameter of the cysts varied between 5 and 30 mm. With regard to the duration of dialysis, cysts could be demonstrated by sonography in 9 of 23 (39%) dialyzed patients, with a maximum dialysis duration of 2 years, and in 12 of 20 (60%) patients who had been dialyzed for more than 2 years. The development of acquired cystic disease of the kidneys in dialysis patients seems to be promoted by the longer survival of uremic patients. Cysts could be found in the patients' own kidneys in only 4 of 23 (17%) renal transplant patients. The difference in the demonstration of cysts between patients on maintenance hemodialysis and renal transplant patients was statistically significant. This suggests that cystic transformation may possibly be a reversible process.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D052177:Kidney Diseases, Cystic / Q000209:etiology*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D007690:Polycystic Kidney Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors