Patient dictionary
Plain-language definitions of terms you may meet in kidney care and research.
Educational curation only — not medical advice.
- ADPKD — autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease
- An inherited condition that causes fluid-filled sacs (cysts) to grow in the kidneys. Its effects vary from person to person; it is one type of cystic kidney disease.
- eGFR — estimated glomerular filtration rate
- An estimate of how well your kidneys filter your blood, usually calculated from a blood test. Your care team looks at changes over time, not just one result.
- TKV — total kidney volume
- The combined size of both kidneys, measured with imaging. In ADPKD it can help assess disease progression, but it is not the same as kidney function.
- Cyst
- A sac containing fluid, which can form in a kidney or another organ. Having a kidney cyst does not by itself mean you have an inherited disease.
- Hypertension
- Blood pressure that stays too high. It can affect the kidneys and heart, often without symptoms; your care team can explain your readings and targets.
- Tolvaptan
- A medicine that can slow kidney function loss in some adults with rapidly progressing ADPKD. It is not suitable for everyone and needs specialist supervision, including liver blood tests.
- Dialysis
- A treatment that removes waste and extra water when the kidneys can no longer do enough of this work. It replaces part, but not all, of what healthy kidneys do.
- Kidney transplant
- Surgery to place a donated kidney in someone whose kidneys no longer work well enough. Ongoing medicines and follow-up are needed to protect the donated kidney.
- Polycystic liver disease
- A condition with many cysts in the liver, sometimes alongside polycystic kidney disease. The liver often keeps working normally, although a larger liver can cause discomfort.
- CKD — chronic kidney disease
- Kidney damage or reduced kidney function lasting at least three months. There are different stages; having CKD does not necessarily mean you will need dialysis.
- Creatinine
- A waste product from muscles that the kidneys remove from blood. A blood test measures it to help estimate kidney function; muscle mass and other factors also affect the result.
- Proteinuria
- More protein in the urine than expected. It can be a sign of kidney damage, but your care team may repeat the test and consider other causes.
- MRI / CT — magnetic resonance imaging / computed tomography
- Scans that make detailed pictures of organs such as your kidneys. MRI uses magnets and radio waves; CT uses X-rays. Your care team chooses the scan suited to the question being investigated.
- Nephrologist
- A doctor who specialises in kidney health and kidney diseases. They can help explain your tests and discuss care options with you.
- Clinical trial
- A research study with volunteers that tests a treatment or approach to care. Taking part is voluntary, and a treatment being studied is not guaranteed to help.
- Clinical practice guideline
- Recommendations that help care teams make decisions, based on available research and expert judgement. They guide care but do not replace a discussion about your individual needs.