Disease of the month: Polycystic kidney disease

We shall begin with a quick anatomy lesson. The two kidneys lie to the sides of the upper abdomen, behind the intestines. Each one is bean shaped and about the size of an orange. The kidneys clear waste materials and maintain the correct balance of fluids and chemicals in the body. The renal artery, which carries blood to each kidney, divides into many tiny blood vessels or capillaries throughout the kidney. In the outer part of the kidney, these vessels form structures called glomeruli. A glomerulus acts like a filter and allows waste products, water and salt to pass from the bloo...