Polycystic Kidney Disease in Sharjah
Medically reviewed by Dar Al Kamal Team
What is polycystic kidney disease?
Polycystic kidney disease, often shortened to PKD, is a genetic condition in which clusters of fluid-filled sacs form in the kidneys. The cysts are present from early life, yet most people with the common adult form feel well for decades, because the cysts enlarge slowly. Over time the kidneys can grow to several times their usual size, and the healthy tissue between the cysts is gradually squeezed.
Most adults have the dominant form, where one affected parent is enough to pass it on: each child has a one-in-two chance of inheriting the gene. A rarer recessive form appears in babies and young children and is looked after by a paediatric kidney specialist by referral.
PKD reaches beyond the kidneys. Cysts in the liver are common, high blood pressure often starts young, and a small group of families carry a higher tendency to bulges in the blood vessels of the brain, called aneurysms.
Who needs it
PKD care suits anyone with a confirmed diagnosis, anyone whose scan has shown several kidney cysts, and adult relatives of someone known to have the condition. Many people first hear the word after an ultrasound done for something else, such as back pain or a pregnancy scan.
Signs that lead to a diagnosis include:
- High blood pressure found in your twenties or thirties
- Blood in the urine, sometimes after exercise or a minor knock
- A dull ache in the back or side, or a sense of fullness in the abdomen
- Repeated urinary infections or kidney stones
- A raised creatinine on a routine blood test
Family screening is a central part of the service. Adult brothers, sisters and children of an affected person can have a kidney ultrasound, which shows cysts clearly in most adults. Where a scan leaves questions, or a family wants to understand inheritance before planning children, genetic testing and counselling are arranged by referral.
What happens
Your nephrologist, Dr Kulsoom Muhammad, takes a detailed family history, checks your blood pressure, and reviews blood and urine tests together with your ultrasound images. Measuring kidney size over time helps show how quickly the condition is moving, which guides every later decision.
Care then follows a steady plan:
- Blood pressure control is the foundation. Keeping pressure well controlled protects kidney function, the heart and the blood vessels of the brain, and medicines chosen for their kidney-protecting effect are usually first choice. More on this link is on the hypertensive nephropathy page.
- Generous water intake is advised for most people, because good hydration lowers a hormone that encourages cysts to grow.
- Pain relief is planned with kidney safety in mind, favouring options that spare the kidneys over regular anti-inflammatory painkillers.
- A cyst-slowing medicine may be discussed for selected adults whose kidneys are enlarging quickly. It is prescribed under specialist supervision with regular liver blood tests.
- Brain aneurysm screening, usually with a scan, is arranged by referral for people with a family history of aneurysm or bleeding in the brain.
As PKD progresses, care overlaps with chronic kidney disease management, including planning ahead for dialysis or a transplant assessment at a dialysis centre if function eventually falls to stage 5.
Preparing for it
Bring any previous ultrasound, CT or MRI reports and images, plus older blood results, since trends across years matter more than a single reading. Write down which relatives have kidney disease, dialysis, a transplant, early high blood pressure or a brain bleed, and at what age.
List every medicine, supplement and herbal remedy you take. In the UAE, protein powders and pre-workout products used in gyms, slimming teas and over-the-counter painkillers are worth mentioning by name, as some place extra strain on the kidneys.
Afterwards
Most people are reviewed at regular intervals with blood pressure checks, blood tests and periodic ultrasound. A home blood pressure monitor helps, and your nephrologist will explain the readings to aim for. Keep up your water intake through the summer heat, and plan fluids carefully with your nephrologist before fasting in Ramadan, since dehydration is especially unhelpful in PKD. Protecting your side and back during contact sports is sensible when the kidneys are enlarged.
Contact the hospital on 06 599 7777 if you notice blood in your urine, a fever with side pain, burning when passing urine, or blood pressure readings well above your target.
Call emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department if you have a sudden, severe headache unlike any before, severe flank pain with fever or vomiting, or you pass very little urine.
Cost and insurance
Most UAE insurance plans cover nephrology consultations, blood and urine tests and kidney ultrasound. Genetic testing, aneurysm screening scans and specialist medicines often need pre-approval, and some plans limit them to particular providers. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you check your cover on 06 599 7777.
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Frequently asked questions
Is polycystic kidney disease curable?
Polycystic kidney disease is a lifelong inherited condition that is managed rather than cured. Good blood pressure control, hydration, kidney-safe pain relief and, for some adults, a cyst-slowing medicine help protect kidney function for as long as possible.
What are the risks and limitations of PKD treatment?
PKD treatment slows the condition but does not remove existing cysts, and some people still reach kidney failure despite good care. The cyst-slowing medicine suits only selected adults, causes heavy thirst and frequent urination, and needs liver blood tests. Genetic testing does not always give a clear answer.
Should my children and siblings be screened for PKD?
Adult relatives of someone with PKD can be screened, usually with a kidney ultrasound, after discussing what a result would mean for them. Screening children is generally approached cautiously and discussed case by case, often with a genetic counsellor.
Will I need dialysis if I have polycystic kidney disease?
Many people with PKD keep enough kidney function for a long time, while others progress to kidney failure in later adult life. If function reaches stage 5, dialysis at a dialysis centre or a transplant assessment by referral is planned well in advance.
Can I fast during Ramadan with polycystic kidney disease?
Fasting with PKD depends on your kidney function, blood pressure and medicines, and dehydration is a particular concern in the UAE heat. Discuss it with your nephrologist well before Ramadan so a safe plan, or a decision not to fast, can be agreed.
Which painkillers are safe with polycystic kidney disease?
Pain relief that spares the kidneys, chosen with your nephrologist, is generally preferred with PKD, while regular anti-inflammatory painkillers can harm the kidneys and are best avoided unless your nephrologist advises otherwise. Ask before taking any painkiller regularly, including herbal remedies.
Why do I get blood in my urine with PKD?
Blood in the urine with PKD usually comes from a cyst bleeding into the urinary tract, often after exercise or a minor knock, and it commonly settles with rest and fluids. Contact your nephrologist if it happens, and seek urgent care if it is heavy or comes with fever.
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