Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Polycystic Kidney Disease
- Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
- Symptoms & Signs
- Diagnosis & Tests
- Prevention & Expectations
- Treatment & Monitoring
- Attribution
- View All
Symptoms & Signs
What are the signs and symptoms of the disease?
Signs and symptoms depend on the type of polycystic kidney disease. Children with the infantile form of PKD often have very large, malformed kidneys at birth. These children are usually critically ill because their lungs don't development correctly due to the PKD. Most affected children die in the first few days of life.
Children with the childhood form of PKD usually get symptoms before adulthood. They often have kidney failure which causes:
In addition, these children often develop scar tissue in the liver that can cause liver failure or bleeding in the gut. Many children die from infections, kidney failure, or liver failure before or during early adulthood. Other children have a milder course and may even have no symptoms until adulthood.
The adult form of PKD is the most common form. Signs and symptoms do not usually begin until adulthood and may include: