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Glam Fame Journal

What is cystic dysplastic kidney?

Author

Andrew Rivera

Updated on March 01, 2026

What is cystic dysplastic kidney?

A multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) is the result of abnormal fetal development of the kidney. The kidney consists of irregular cysts of varying sizes that resemble a bunch of grapes. A multicystic dysplastic kidney has no function and nothing can be done to save it.

What does kidney dysplasia do to your body?

In kidney dysplasia, the tubules fail to branch out completely. Urine that would normally flow through the tubules has nowhere to go. Urine collects inside the affected kidney and forms fluid-filled sacs called cysts. The cysts replace normal kidney tissue and prevent the kidney from functioning.

Can kidney dysplasia be cured?

Cystic kidney disease cannot be cured, but early evaluation in children can be helpful to decrease problems. If your child has been diagnosed with kidney cystic disease, you may need to be tested. Some of the cystic kidney diseases in children are passed down from a parent.

What is the meaning of renal dysplasia?

Renal dysplasia (REE-nul dis-PLAY-zhee-uh) is a condition in which one or both of a baby’s kidneys develop abnormally in the womb, often causing cysts (fluid-filled sacs) to replace normal kidney tissue.

Is dysplastic kidney serious?

Most children born with one dysplastic kidney have no complications and do not need special treatment. Sometimes the other kidney grows larger than normal to make up for the dysplastic kidney. However, they may be at risk of or urinary tract infections (UTIs) and/or hypertension (high blood pressure) later in life.

How is kidney dysplasia treated?

There are no treatments for kidney dysplasia except in cases where the good kidney begins to fail and a kidney transplant or dialysis is recommended. This is usually only considered when the kidney causes pain, results in high blood pressure or shows abnormal changes when scanned by ultrasound.

Is renal dysplasia considered kidney disease?

Renal dysplasia (or kidney dysplasia) means that a kidney does not fully develop in the womb. The affected kidney does not have normal function – which means that it does not work as well as a normal kidney. It is usually smaller than usual, and may have some cysts, which are like sacs filled with liquid.

Is multicystic dysplastic kidney disease hereditary?

There are rare cases when multicystic dysplastic kidney runs in families because of a genetic trait. However, the vast majority occur as a sporadic event. The proper formation of a kidney is complex with hundreds of thousands of steps that must execute correctly.

Is polycystic kidney disease a death sentence?

Polycystic kidney disease is an incurable genetic disease that often leads to end-stage kidney failure. The name carries the weight of a potential early death sentence for those diagnosed.

Is multicystic dysplastic kidney painful?

Multicystic dysplastic kidney does not cause any symptoms at all. The condition is usually found during a prenatal ultrasound or when a doctor discovers an abdominal mass during a routine physical examination. The diagnosis of multicystic dysplastic kidney is usually made with an ultrasound examination.