Acquired Cystic Disease of the Kidney in Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) Patients

Acquired Cystic Disease of the Kidney (ACDK) has been increasingly noted in patients with long-standing renal failure and in those treated with dialysis. We assessed the prevalence of different patterns of cysts in 48 randomly selected patients treated with CAPD (23.1 ± 16.0 months). Only 3 patients had been previously treated with hemodialysis. All patients underwent renal ultrasonography (US) and nine underwent computerized tomography (CT). In 22 patients no cysts were found. The other 24 patients were Included In three different groups. Group 1: Cysts that predominate In the renal cortex from 0.3 to 3.0 cm In diameter: 14 patients. Group 2: Cysts less than 0.3 cm in diameter (granular-microcystic pattern): 4 patients. Group 3: SolItary cysts 1 to 3: 6 patients. US and CT are relIable and sensitive enough to detect cysts even smaller than 0.3 cm in diameter. The incidence of patients with renal cysts increases with the duration of CAPD. Cysts less than 0.3 cm In diameter (Group 2) could correspond to an initial stage of Group 1 cysts or to a new aspect of ACDK. Group 1 and Group 2 cysts were predominant In male patients, while Isolated renal cysts were more frequent in females.