Spectrum of multicystic renal dysplasia: diagnosis and management.

Multicystic renal dysplasia represents a spectrum of pathologic states, from unilateral multicystic kidney through segmental and focal multicystic dysplasia to bilateral multicystic kidney. Diagnosis can be established with low-risk procedures with reasonable accuracy. Treatment may be nonoperative in selected cases, but the physician must be responsible for long-term follow-up of the child until more is known about the natural history of this process.