Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disorder that causes numerous cysts to grow in the kidneys. A kidney cyst is an abnormal sac filled with fluid. PKD cysts can greatly enlarge the kidneys while replacing much of their normal structure, resulting in chronic kidney disease (CKD), which causes reduced kidney function over time. CKD may lead to kidney failure, described as end-stage kidney disease or ESRD when treated with a kidney transplant or blood-filtering treatments called dialysis. The two main types of PKD are autosomal dominant PKD and autosomal recessive PKD.

There are various indications that make the disease obvious. The signs and symptoms which are responsible for the diagnosis and understanding the level of severity of this disease include:

Aneurysms which are known as bulges in the walls of blood vessels in the brain
Urinary tract infections, specifically in the kidney cysts
Diverticulosis (small pouches bulge outward through the colon)
Clustered cysts in the kidney
Pain in the back and sides
Headaches
Hematuria (blood in the urine)
Liver and pancreatic cysts
Abnormal heart valves
High blood pressure
Stones in the kidney