These cysts can grow so large and so numerous that they crowd out the normal kidney tissue, rendering the kidneys unable to function normally.
Cysts can also form in other organs such as the liver.
PKD affects approximately 600,000 persons in the United States. It is one of the most common hereditary diseases and the fourth leading cause of kidney failure. It seems to affect all races and both genders equally. Persons with autosomal dominant PKD often exhibit no symptoms and the disease can not be diagnosed by routine blood work in its early stages. Therefore, persons may have the disease for years before it is diagnosed.