Multicystic Dysplasia

Multicystic Dysplasia is also referred to as having a multicystic dysplastic kidney. The human body has two kidneys whose function is to remove waste products from the blood stream through the creation of urine. Multicystic Dysplasyia is a congenital disease that has to do with the malformation of one or both kidneys. The most important thing to know is that the condition is not fatal if it only effects one kidney, which in most cases it does.

Basics and Statistics

• This disorder is caused by abnormal fetal development of one or both kidneys. Usually, this occurs in one kidney, which is afflicted by multiple cysts of various size making the kidney either barely functioning or nonfunctioning. This disorder typically happens to only one kidney, usually on the left side. Through ultrasound, this disorder is usually detected before birth. Approximately 1 in 43000 live births have this disorder. One functioning kidney is sufficient to produce the amniotic fluid necessary for fetal development and for cleaning the blood after birth. It is usually not cause for alarm. It is most common in Caucasian babies and happens in roughly equal numbers to boys and girls.

Diagnosis

• Aside from catching the disorder through pre-birth ultrasound there are post birth methods doctors use to identify the problem. It's important to have your child examined by a pediatric urologist because there are other kidney disorders that may need surgery to correct. The voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) method is invasive and involves placing a catheter inside of the urethra, and filling the bladder with a liquid dye, for easier viewing, while the doctors take an x-ray photo. The intravenous polygram (IVP) is also invasive and involves dyeing the urinary tract and taking an x-ray to see how well the kidneys drain urine. An ultrasound can also be used post-birth to detect the disorder.

Treatment

• There is no uniform consensus on what the best treatment is. In the past, removal of the damaged kidney was common procedure. Today, some doctors prefer to observe the kidney rather than remove it, as in many cases the damaged kidney reduces in size to be barely detectable. Studies are being done on the incidence of hypertension and malignancy forming in the cysts, as this has happened very rarely. Results are showing that danger of illness is low. If it is determined that the kidney should be removed, it can be done by a small incision or laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic surgery involves four small punctures in which the kidney is removed from one of the punctures. Some parents elect to have the kidney removed to completely reduce any risk involved in keeping it.

After Surgery

• If surgery is elected, your child will typically not stay in the hospital for more than one night for observation after which time she will be sent home to fully recover. Your doctor will give you explicit details on the care that is required and restrictions on her activity while she is recovering.

Long-Term Prognosis

• If your baby has no other birth defects he will be expected to live a completely normal life. His working kidney may be larger than normal and he will have to have check ups with his doctors indefinitely to make sure that the kidney is still functioning. The doctor may recommend that he limit salt and protein in his diet. Contact sports should not be played in order to protect his good kidney from damage. Body weight should be kept at an ideal weight for height and gender.