Percutaneous decompression: treatment for respiratory distress secondary to multicystic dysplastic kidney

Multicystic dysplastic kidney is a common renal anomaly in the newborn. Long-term problems, such as pain, infection, hypertension and neoplasm, although infrequent, have been reported. Acute, life-threatening complications resulting from the size of the affected kidney are rare and emergency nephrectomy has been the only reported effective therapy. We present a case of ultrasound-guided percutaneous cyst decompression used as definitive treatment of respiratory failure associated with multicystic dysplastic kidney.