Kidney Infection

[Dorothy]

Hello, my daughter had her right kidney removed when she was a just over a year old, due to multiple cysts on her kidney. She is now 8 years old and had routine follow-up ultra sounds in between that time.

She just recently had a renal ultra sound, and her doctor called me tonight and told me that her kidney is slightly dilated. I'm just waiting for her pediatrician to call me after she talks further with a urologist Is this something that I have to be worried about? Can anyone give me any clues what I can expect to hear?

Thank you for your time.

[UroDoc]

it may be totally normal, they may need to get another test to determine if there is actually an issue, good luck

[Dorothy]

Thank you UroDoc for the reply. But I was thinking, isn't it normal for the kidney to be dilated because it is doing the work of two kidneys? Also, can you tell me what would be the worst case senario? I just want to be prepared and her doctor said I should hear from her in a couple of weeks.

[UroDoc]

Working twice as hard should not cause dilatation, it can cause the kidney itself to enlarge, hypertrophy. Worse case is there is some sort of blockage, scar tissue , stone, usually in the ureter or where the renal pelvis (funnel like structure which the kidney excretes the urine into where it is collected and "funneled to the ureter) meets the ureter. This area is called the UPJ or ureteropelvic junction. My guess is the radiologist is over calling the finding and is being conservative since there is only one kidney, which isn't a bad thing. I think you can take comfort in the fact that your daughter is not going to be seen for a couple of weeks, so he doctors do not think it is an emergency and they are not particularly worried. Good luck.

[Dorothy]

Thank you very much for the reply UroDoc. You have been very helpful.

[Flames]

Hello,

I am writting because I have had bilateral hydronephrosis of the kidneys for over a year. I have seen two specialist a nephrologist and urologist in Canada and they have both concluded that I have this problem because of cerebral palsy. Neither of the specialists is doing anything about this and I am worried about scarring and losing some kidney fuction as a result. My ureters are also swollen/ destended. What should I do and should I be worried?

I have had repeated kidney and bladder infections. I know that none of this has to do with cerebral palsy since I have not always had this issue. I am also very mobile (using crutches most of the time) Thanks for responding to this post.