Question: What is (are) Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease ?
Answer: Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) is a genetic condition that is characterized by the growth of cysts in the kidneys (which lead to kidney failure) and liver and problems in other organs, such as the blood vessels in the brain and heart. The severity varies from person to person. The signs of ARPKD frequently begin before birth, so it is often called infantile PKD but some people do not develop symptoms until later in childhood or even adulthood. Children born with ARPKD often, but not always, develop kidney failure before reaching adulthood; babies with the worst cases die hours or days after birth due to respiratory difficulties or respiratory failure. Liver scarring occurs in all patients. The condition is caused by a mutation in the PKHD1 gene and is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. Some symptoms of the condition may be controlled by medicines, antibiotics, healthy diet, and growth hormones.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the symptoms of Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease ?
Answer: What are the signs and symptoms of Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease? The Human Phenotype Ontology provides the following list of signs and symptoms for Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease. If the information is available, the table below includes how often the symptom is seen in people with this condition. You can use the MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary to look up the definitions for these medical terms. Signs and Symptoms Approximate number of patients (when available) Congenital hepatic fibrosis 90% Depressed nasal ridge 90% Hypoplasia of the ear cartilage 90% Low-set, posteriorly rotated ears 90% Macrotia 90% Polycystic kidney dysplasia 90% Renal insufficiency 90% Respiratory insufficiency 90% Abnormality of the pancreas 50% Biliary tract abnormality 50% Cystic liver disease 50% Renal hypoplasia/aplasia 50% Neonatal death 5% Absence of renal corticomedullary differentiation - Autosomal recessive inheritance - Dehydration - Enlarged kidneys - Esophageal varix - Hepatic cysts - Hepatomegaly - Oligohydramnios - Pancreatic cysts - Periportal fibrosis - Portal hypertension - Potter facies - Pulmonary hypoplasia - Renal cyst - Splenomegaly - Tubulointerstitial fibrosis - The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) has collected information on how often a sign or symptom occurs in a condition. Much of this information comes from Orphanet, a European rare disease database. The frequency of a sign or symptom is usually listed as a rough estimate of the percentage of patients who have that feature. The frequency may also be listed as a fraction. The first number of the fraction is how many people had the symptom, and the second number is the total number of people who were examined in one study. For example, a frequency of 25/25 means that in a study of 25 people all patients were found to have that symptom. Because these frequencies are based on a specific study, the fractions may be different if another group of patients are examined. Sometimes, no information on frequency is available. In these cases, the sign or symptom may be rare or common.
Source: GARD

Question: Is Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease inherited ?
Answer: How is autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease inherited? Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. This means that an affected individual has two gene alterations (mutations) in the PKHD1 gene, with one mutation inherited from each parent. Each parent, who has one altered copy of the gene, is referred to as a carrier. Carriers do not typically show signs and symptoms of the condition. When two carriers for an autosomal recessive condition have children, each child has a 25% (1 in 4) risk to have the condition, a 50% (1 in 2) risk to be an unaffected carrier like each of the parents, and a 25% chance to not have the condition and not be a carrier. This means that with each pregnancy, there is a 75% (3 in 4) chance to have an unaffected child.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the treatments for Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease ?
Answer: Is there a cure or treatment for autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease? Although a cure or treatment for the underlying genetic cause of autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease does not exist, advancements have been made in showing improvement of liver and kidney disease in mouse models of the condition by disrupting the function of certain cell receptors. Medical management is currently symptomatic and involves supportive care. Mechanical ventilation may be used to treat the underdevelopment of the lungs and breathing issues caused by the kidneys that are enlarged due to the numerous cysts. When the kidneys are severely enlarged, one or both kidneys may be removed (nephrectomy). Dialysis may be required during the first days of life if the infant is producing little urine (oliguria) or no urine (anuria). Low levels of sodium (hyponatremia) may occur and is treated with diuresis and/or sodium supplementation depending on the individual's specific levels. High blood pressure (hypertension) is treated with medication. Kidney failure requires dialysis, and kidney transplantation is another option. Poor eating and growth failure may be managed with gastrostomy tubes. Growth hormone therapy may be used to treat the growth failure and kidney insufficiency. Urinary tract infections are treated with antibiotics. Those with liver involvement may require shunt to treat the progressive high blood pressure and possibly liver transplantation.
Source: GARD