Cyst infection in hospital-admitted autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease patients is predominantly multifocal and associated with kidney and liver volume

Positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has improved cyst infection (CI) management in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The determinants of kidney and/or liver involvement, however, remain uncertain. In this study, we evaluated clinical and imaging factors associated with CI in kidney (KCI) and liver (LCI) in ADPKD. A retrospective cohort study was performed in hospital-admitted ADPKD patients with suspected CI. Clinical, imaging and surgical data were analyzed. Features of infected cysts were evaluated by PET/CT. Total kidney (TKV) and liver (TLV) volumes were measured by CT-derived multiplanar reconstruction. CI was detected in 18 patients who experienced 24 episodes during an interval of 30 months (LCI in 12, KCI in 10 and concomitant infection in 2). Sensitivities of CT, magnetic resonance imaging and PET/CT were 25.0, 71.4, and 95.0%. Dysuria (P<0.05), positive urine culture (P<0.01), and previous hematuria (P<0.05) were associated with KCI. Weight loss (P<0.01) and increased C-reactive protein levels (P<0.05) were associated with LCI. PET/CT revealed that three or more infected cysts were present in 70% of the episodes. TKV was higher in kidney-affected than in LCI patients (AUC=0.91, P<0.05), with a cut-off of 2502 mL (72.7% sensitivity, 100.0% specificity). TLV was higher in liver-affected than in KCI patients (AUC=0.89, P<0.01) with a cut-off of 2815 mL (80.0% sensitivity, 87.5% specificity). A greater need for invasive procedures was observed in LCI (P<0.01), and the overall mortality was 20.8%. This study supports PET/CT as the most sensitive imaging method for diagnosis of cyst infection, confirms the multifocal nature of most hospital-admitted episodes, and reveals an association of kidney and liver volumes with this complication.

Resultados del trasplante renal en portadores de ríñones poliquísticos / Outcome of renal transplantation in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

Background: Patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) have a better survival in chronic dialysis than patients with other etiologies of renal failure. It has been suggested that extra-renal manifestations of ADPKD may increase the odds of complications and mortality, if these patients are transplanted. Aim: To determine whether survival and complications in transplanted patients with ADPKD are different from kidney graft recipients with other etiologies of renal failure. Subjects and Methods: Four hundred six patients with kidney transplantation were followed in three hospitals between 1976 and 2011 and 19 were carriers of ADPKD. The latter were matched by type of donor, gender, age and date of kidney transplant, with 38 graft recipients with other etiologies of renal failure. Results: Graft and patient 1, 5, 10 and 15 years survival were similar in both groups. Hospitalizations due to viral infections and sepsis were more common in patients with ADPKD. There were no differences in the rate of acute rejection, delayed graft function, cancer, gastrointestinal disorders and hospitalizations due to cardiovascular diseases. The frequency of graft loss due to death with a functioning kidney was similar between both groups. Conclusions: Patient and graft survival in transplanted patients with ADPKD were similar to patients with other etiologies of renal failure. The rate and type of complications were similar between groups with the exception of hospitalizations due to sepsis and viral infections, which were more common in ADPKD patients.