Which combination of symptoms and signs is commonly reported in PKD?

Which combination of symptoms and signs is commonly reported in PKD?

• A. Hypertension with flank pain and recurrent UTIs
• B. Autosomal recessive inheritance
• C. Short stature and learning disabilities
• D. Normal blood pressure with kidney stones

Answer: (A)

Polycystic kidney disease often presents with high blood pressure, pain from enlarging cysts (flank pain), and a tendency for urinary tract infections. The hypertension arises because growing kidney cysts stimulate the renin-angiotensin system, increasing blood pressure. The cysts stretch and irritate the renal tissue, causing flank or abdominal pain, and their dilated collecting systems can harbor bacteria, leading to recurrent UTIs. This combination—hypertension, flank pain, and recurrent UTIs—is a classic cluster of symptoms you’d expect with PKD. In contrast, the other options point to features that are not typical for PKD. Inheritance pattern (autosomal recessive) is a genetic description rather than a symptom cluster, and while AR PKD exists, the common clinical picture centers on hypertension and pain with infections. Short stature and learning disabilities aren’t characteristic of PKD, and normal blood pressure with kidney stones clashes with the frequent finding of hypertension in PKD.

Polycystic kidney disease often presents with high blood pressure, pain from enlarging cysts (flank pain), and a tendency for urinary tract infections. The hypertension arises because growing kidney cysts stimulate the renin-angiotensin system, increasing blood pressure. The cysts stretch and irritate the renal tissue, causing flank or abdominal pain, and their dilated collecting systems can harbor bacteria, leading to recurrent UTIs. This combination—hypertension, flank pain, and recurrent UTIs—is a classic cluster of symptoms you’d expect with PKD.

In contrast, the other options point to features that are not typical for PKD. Inheritance pattern (autosomal recessive) is a genetic description rather than a symptom cluster, and while AR PKD exists, the common clinical picture centers on hypertension and pain with infections. Short stature and learning disabilities aren’t characteristic of PKD, and normal blood pressure with kidney stones clashes with the frequent finding of hypertension in PKD.