Polycystic kidney disease as a new risk factor for coronary events

Background: The association between coronary and/or other arterial aneurysms and polycystic kidney disease is well known. While myocardial infarction is a possible complication of atheroscletotic coronary aneurysms, it is reasonable to assume that CA in patients with PKD may make them prone for a similar complication. Objective: To evaluate the possible occurrence of CA and MI in first-order relatives of a patient with PKD, CA and MI. Patients: We studied 12 family members: 2 parents, 8 sisters and 2 brothers of a young woman who was incidentally diagnosed as having a MI, while her mother was known to have PKD. We used electrocardiogram, thallium-image test, and transthoracic echocardiography to determine MI, ultrasonography of the kidney to determine PKD, and coronary angiography and ventriculography to determine CA and MI, respectively. Results: PKD was detected in seven family members while CA and MI were found in five and three of them, respectively. Conclusions: In a family with PKD we detected a high prevalence of CA, with MI as a complication of the latter.