The cystic kidneys are a hereditary, mostly bilateral kidney malformation in which the kidney is interspersed with cysts. Cysts are single or multi-chambered, sack-like tumours closed by a capsule with a thick or thin fluid content.
Water-filled cavities slowly increase in size and thus displace the actual functional tissue of the kidney. In contrast to isolated kidney cysts, all parts of the kidney are affected and the surface of the kidney is covered with numerous, dense cysts of different sizes.