Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) — DCE Clinical Case

Approach — what the examiner is testing

This station is not "palpate an abdomen". It tests whether you can find bilateral renal masses correctly, stage their consequences, and survey the extrarenal disease — then synthesise rather than list. The ballotable kidney is a vanishingly rare sign in modern medicine and ADPKD is its classic source, so examiners watch your ballottement technique closely [7].

Before touching the patient: blood pressure measured properly, both arms, after rest — hypertension is the earliest manifestation of ADPKD and the most modifiable driver of progression, so measuring it yourself is part of the examination, not an afterthought [2].