Bilateral multicystic dysplastic kidney disease in a Fetus: A rare case with a fatal outcome

Bernadette Pedun1,2, Ivaan Pitua3, Felix Bongomin4,5

  • 1Uganda Cancer Institute, Kampala, Uganda.

Urology Case Reports
|November 17, 2025
PubMed

Bilateral multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCKD) is a rare, fatal congenital anomaly with multiple non-communicating renal cysts and absent parenchyma, often linked to other malformations. A 27-year-old gravida 4, para 3 woman at 28 weeks gestation, without prior antenatal care, presented with parotiditis. Ultrasound revealed bilateral enlarged kidneys (right: 7.49 × 4.78 cm; left: 8.25 × 4.68 cm) with multiple cysts, minimal parenchyma, severe oligohydramnios, and associated anomalies including posterior urethral valves, cardiomegaly, and ventriculomegaly. Bilateral MCKD is incompatible with life, detectable from 18 to 28 weeks, showing the value of routine anomaly scans.