Renal Cystic Pathology as a Potential Marker of Impaired Kidney–Brain Axis in Senile Dementia: A Multi-Cadaveric Case Study

Moultrie, GA

INTRODUCTION: Evidence suggests that renal function plays a role in neurological health. The kidney functions as an important systemic regulator of filtration and maintaining blood pressure. Impairment in renal filtration has been linked to neuronal degeneration through reduced clearance of toxins, inflammatory markers, and proteins implicated in cognitive decline. Cystic kidney pathology, often associated with polycystic kidney disease or age-related cyst formation, may reflect impaired renal function that contributes to neuronal degeneration. This cadaveric case study investigated whether structural renal structural abnormalities observed in individuals with senile-related death provide anatomical support for a relationship between renal pathology and neurodegenerative and neurovascular related disease.

METHODS: Three cadaveric specimens aged 87, 87, and 86, with documented neurodegenerative senile-related deaths were examined for analysis. Bilateral gross anatomical dissection of the kidneys was performed, and tissue samples were collected from both cortical and medullary regions. Anatomical findings were documented with attention to cystic structures and other renal abnormalities. Specimens were submitted to Colquitt Regional Medical Center for histological evaluation using Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) and Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) staining to evaluate renal anomalies and characterize cystic structures.

RESULTS: Gross examination revealed macroscopic cystic structures distributed throughout the renal cortex and medulla in the two of the three cadaveric kidney specimens. The cysts varied in size and distribution and were present in bilateral kidneys. These anatomical findings were examined in the context of the individuals’ documented neurodegenerative senile-related death to explore potential associations between renal structural abnormalities and neurodegenerative affiliation. Tissue samples were processed for histological evaluation to further characterize the renal structures and assess for patterns consistent with impaired renal function.

CONCLUSION: Although simple renal cysts are commonly observed in aging populations, the presence of cystic renal changes in multiple cadaveric specimens with dementia-related deaths raises questions regarding the potential relationship between chronic renal structural alterations and neurodegenerative disease. These findings support potential contributions of impaired renal filtration to the accumulation of neurotoxic markers involved in neurodegeneration and highlight the importance of bidirectional communication between the kidney and the brain. Further investigation with larger cadaveric cohorts, brain samples, and clinical renal function data is necessary to characterize the relationship between structural renal impairment and neurodegenerative disease to determine the contribution to Alzheimer's disease via neurotoxic accumulation or vascular related dementias.