Related Diseases

From IgA nephropathy to polycystic kidney disease (PKD), understand the different diseases that relate to the kidneys and how to learn to cope with these conditions.

Normal kidneys are about the size of a closed fist. Polycystic kidneys have cysts that form in the kidneys. These cysts are filled with fluid and, depending on their size and how many there are, will change the size of the kidneys. There are medical journals showing pictures of polycystic kidneys that are about the size of a football and weigh over 20 pounds.

Diabetic nephropathy is kidney damage that occurs as a result of diabetes. Diabetic nephropathy causes illness and sometimes death for people with diabetes. Diabetes affects approximately seven percent of people in the United States. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney failure in the nation.

In 1968, French nephrologist Dr. Jean Berger first described immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy. Sometimes referred to as Berger’s disease, IgA nephropathy is a kidney disease that causes the kidneys to become inflamed.