What is autosomal dominant PKD?
Autosomal dominant PKD is one of the most common inherited disorders. The phrase “autosomal dominant” means that if one parent has the disease, there is a 50-percent chance that the disease will pass to a child (see Genetic Diseases). At least one parent must have the disease for a child to inherit it. Either the mother or father can pass it along, but new mutations may account for one-fourth of new cases. In some rare cases, the cause of autosomal dominant PKD occurs spontaneously in the child soon after conception–in these cases the parents are not the source of this disease. Many people with autosomal dominant PKD live for decades without developing symptoms. For this reason, autosomal dominant PKD is often called “adult polycystic kidney disease.” Yet, in some cases, cysts may form earlier, even in the first years of life. The disease is thought to occur equally in men and women and equally in people of all races. However, some studies suggest that it occurs more often in whites t
