What is the Difference Between Polycystic Kidney Disease and Hydronephrosis

The key difference between polycystic kidney disease and hydronephrosis is that polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disorder that causes fluid-filled cysts to grow in the kidneys, while hydronephrosis is a condition that causes one or both kidneys to become stretched and swollen due to the build-up of urine inside them.

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs. They usually filter extra water, waste out the blood, and make urine. Kidney diseases can be triggered by underlying conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Some kidney problems may include acute kidney injury, kidney cysts, kidney stones, kidney infections, polycystic kidney disease, and hydronephrosis.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Polycystic Kidney Disease  
3. What is Hydronephrosis
4. Similarities – Polycystic Kidney Disease and Hydronephrosis
5. Polycystic Kidney Disease vs. Hydronephrosis in Tabular Form
6. FAQ – Polycystic Kidney Disease and Hydronephrosis
7. Summary – Polycystic Kidney Disease vs. Hydronephrosis

What is Polycystic Kidney Disease?

Polycystic kidney disease causes fluid-filled cysts to grow in the kidneys. This can change the shape of the kidneys, making them larger. There are two types of polycystic kidney disease: autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive. The symptoms of the autosomal dominant type are pain, high blood pressure, kidney failure, and other complications. On the other hand, the symptoms of autosomal recessive type include larger than normal kidneys while in the womb, a smaller-than-average size baby, and growth failure.

Moreover, a gene mutation causes polycystic kidney disease. The complications involved in this condition are high blood pressure, loss of kidney function, chronic pain, growth of cysts in the liver, development of an aneurysm in the brain, pregnancy complications, heart valve abnormalities, and colon problems. Polycystic kidney disease can be diagnosed through physical examination, symptoms evaluation, ultrasound, CT scan, and MRI scan. Furthermore, treatment options for polycystic kidney disease are managing high blood pressure and healthy lifestyle practices such as being active, reducing stress, and quitting smoking.

What is Hydronephrosis?

Hydronephrosis is a condition where one or both kidneys become stretched and swollen due to urine building up in them. It can affect anyone at any age, even unborn babies. There are different types of hydronephrosis, such as antenatal hydronephrosis and adult hydronephrosis. Moreover, the symptoms of hydronephrosis are pain in the back or side, needing to urinate more often, pain or a burning sensation while urinating, feeling tired and unwell, blood in the urine, and urinating less often than used to or with a weak stream.

A high amount of urine causes antenatal hydronephrosis in the baby in the later stages of pregnancy. Meanwhile, adult hydronephrosis can be caused by kidney stones, pregnancy, an enlarged prostate gland in men, narrowing of the ureters, and certain types of cancer such as kidney cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, or ovarian cancer. Complications resulting from hydronephrosis include kidney damage and failure. Hydronephrosis can be diagnosed through physical examination, urine tests, blood tests, and imaging tests such as ultrasound, CT scans, and MRIs. Furthermore, treatment options for hydronephrosis are inserting a catheter to drain urine out of the kidney, removing kidney stones by using sound waves, medications or surgery to manage enlarged prostate, blockages in the ureters by using surgery (stent), and chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery for cancers.

What are the Similarities Between Polycystic Kidney Disease and Hydronephrosis?

• Polycystic kidney disease and hydronephrosis are two different types of kidney diseases.
• Both conditions can cause complications.
• Both conditions can be diagnosed through physical symptom evaluation and imaging tests.
• They can be treated through specific medications and surgeries.

What is the Difference Between Polycystic Kidney Disease and Hydronephrosis?

Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disorder that causes fluid-filled cysts to grow in the kidneys. At the same time, hydronephrosis is a condition that causes one or both kidneys to become stretched and swollen due to the build-up of urine inside them. Thus, this is the key difference between polycystic kidney disease and hydronephrosis. Furthermore, polycystic kidney disease is caused by gene mutation, while a high amount of urine causes hydronephrosis in the baby in the later stages of the pregnancy. In adults, the causes for hydronephrosis include kidney stones, pregnancy, an enlarged prostate gland in men, narrowing of the ureters, and some types of cancer such as kidney cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, or ovarian cancer.

The infographic below presents the differences between polycystic kidney disease and hydronephrosis in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

FAQ: Polycystic Kidney Disease and Hydronephrosis

What can be mistaken for hydronephrosis?

An extrarenal pelvis can be confused with hydronephrosis. It refers to an anatomical variant that appears as a large hypoechoic mass just outside the renal sinus.

Can kidney hydronephrosis be cured?

Sometimes, like in pregnancy and kidney stones, hydronephrosis resolves without treatment. But sometimes, surgery or other treatments will be required to cure hydronephrosis.

What is the first line of treatment for hydronephrosis?

Draining the urine out of the kidney is the first-line treatment.

Summary – Polycystic Kidney Disease vs. Hydronephrosis

Kidneys are bean-shaped organs in the body that carry out the ultrafiltration of urine. Polycystic kidney disease and hydronephrosis are two different types of kidney diseases. Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disorder in which fluid-filled cysts grow in the kidneys. Hydronephrosis is a condition that causes one or both kidneys to become stretched and swollen due to the build-up of urine inside them. Moreover, polycystic kidney disease is caused by gene mutation. Hydronephrosis can be caused by a high amount of urine in the baby in later stages of pregnancy, kidney stones, pregnancy, an enlarged prostate gland in men, narrowing of the ureters, and certain types of cancer such as kidney cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, or ovarian cancer. Hence, this summarizes the difference between polycystic kidney disease and hydronephrosis.

Reference:

1. “Polycystic Kidney Disease.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
2. Wint, Carmella. “Hydronephrosis: Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis.” Healthline, Healthline Media.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Polycystic Kidney” By BruceBlaus – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Hydro” By morning2k – Own work (CC BY 2.5) via Commons Wikimedia