Serving children and families with kidney disease for over 30 years
Normal Renal Anatomy
In the normal kidney blood is filtered, urine produced and then begins passage through the urinary collecting system.
Under normal circumstances the urine travels through the collecting system and into the bladder so that no urine is seen by ultrasound anywhere other than the bladder. When we see urine in the other parts of the collecting system, this suggests that there is an abnormality somewhere in the collection system.
Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney Disease (MCDK)
Multicystic Dysplastic Kidney Disease is a developmental abnormality of the kidney in which after renal development there is a disruption of the ureter. This leads to the most severe obstructive uropathy. At birth these kidneys are usually a collection of multiple size cysts with minimal renal parenchyma and no kidney function. There is minimal to no blood flow to these kidneys and minimal to no connection to the urinary tract. These kidneys usually involute over the first several years of life. There is no real risk of UTI, HTN, or malignant degeneration and the typical approach is to have no intervention related to the kidney with MCDK and to assure that the contralateral kidney is normal.
As long as the other kidney is normal these children behave like any solitary kidney, with normal kidney function and require minimal to no restrictions in activity, intake or exposures. They have significantly reduced renal mass/renal reserve and the most important part of care is to preserve the existing kidney tissue/function
1425 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd So Birmingham, AL 35205-3841 Phone: (205) 558-3200 Fax: (205) 623-1090
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