Antenatal Diagnosis of Polycystic Kidney Disease

Abstract

The recent advancement of ultrasonographic and MRI examinations can provide more accurate diagnosis of renal diseases in utero. Out of 60 antenatally diagnosed cases, we had 10 renal cystic lesions, which consisted of 7 hydronephrosis and 3 polycystic kidney. We report 2 cases of genetic polycystic kidney disease. One is a case with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (Case 1), and the other with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (Case 2). The differential diagnosis was performed from the various kinds of polycystic diseases and cystic variants of pediatric renal tumors such as Wilms' tumor, glomerulocystic kidney disease and mesoblastic nephroma. To make the diagnosis, a positive family record and various sizes of cysts shown by echograms in utero were useful in case 1. On the other hand, in case 2, both enlarged kidneys with small protrusions to the renal capsulae shown by the in utero MRI and small cysts shown by echograms after the birth were useful.