What Is The Chance to Inherit PKD

PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) is a hereditary disease and hence a family disease. Although not all members of the family will inherit it, everyone is affected at least emotionally. One person consults our online doctor that how much percent she will inherit PKD because there is a family history of it.

Each child of a parent with PKD has a 50% chance of inheriting this disease. Although 1 in every 2 children is likely to inherit PKD, sometimes both or neither will be affected. This type of PKD is called ADPKD (Autosomal Dominant PKD). Around 85% of people with PKD have an abnormal gene on chromosome number 16. This main group is known as ADPKD-1. The remaining 15% is known as ADPKD-2, where the abnormal gene is located on chromosome 4. This appears to have a more slowly progressing form of PKD.

PKD does not skip over a generation. That is to say, if your parent does not pass on PKD to you, then there is no chance of PKD that affects your won children. Sometimes PKD may skip a generation. For instance, a grandmother has PKD, her daughter apparently did not have it but the daughter’s son has it. Rather than skip a generation, the daughter must have had PKD but never developed symptoms or signs of the condition.

In some cases, a person suffering from PKD is the first in the family with no prior family history of PKD. This disorder is called fresh mutation. Brothers and sisters of this person are not at risk but the children of the affected person have the same 50% chance of inheriting the disorder.

If there is a family history of PKD, it is important for me to do regular check ups. Tests for PKD can be done using ultrasound or X-Ray tests, including CT scans. A careful medical examination should be done and only a doctor can tell you for certain if you have PKD. Besides, when considering marriage and planning a family, couples need to consider the possible impact of PKD. Each of us has a responsibility to future generation.