[Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease : a pediatric perspective].

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is the most prevalent inherited kidney disease. The disease is usually asymptomatic until adulthood. End-stage renal disease occurs generally after the age of 55 years, with a large inter-individual variability. Renal cyst formation begins early in life, and animal models have shown that treatments able to prevent the cyst growth slow down the renal function decline. A treatment by tolvaptan is currently used in adults to decelerate PKD progression. Until now there is no consensus about the appropriate time to screen for PKD in children. However, these scientific progresses raise the interest of determining early (i.e. pediatric) predictive markers of renal function decline.