Kidney Dysplasia
DISEASE DEFINITION
Kidney dysplasia occurs when the internal structures of one or both kidneys fail to develop normally. Kidney dysplasia may be unilateral or bilateral, segmental or diffuse. Dysplastic kidneys are often cystic but unlike in typical presentations of polycystic kidney diseases, these kidneys are not massively enlarged but are about the size of normal for age kidneys or smaller. Kidney dysplasia is one of the most frequent causes of chronic kidney failure in children.
Multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) is a common and well-recognizable example of unilateral kidney dysplasia. Affected children typically have good overall kidney function with contralateral compensatory kidney hypertrophy. In contrast, children with bilateral kidney dysplasia are at risk for severe chronic decline of kidney function, even though there is major clinical variability in the disease course.
SYMPTOMS
If kidneys are dysplastic but are still functioning, there may not be any signs or symptoms.
Once dysplastic kidneys begin losing function or have minimal function, you/your child may show not specific signs of chronic kidney disease as:
- fatigue
- loss of appetite
- increased or decreased urination
- nausea
- pale skin
- growth retardation
- high blood pressure
- swelling of the face and legs, and headaches
DIAGNOSIS
Ultrasounds
Blood and urine tests
General Check Ups
Show the presence of kidney malformations
Assess how well the kidney is functioning
Measurments of body height, body weight, body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure as part of the routine monitoring for patients with suspected kidney disease
TREATMENT
Dysplastic kidneys can be managed, but there is no possibility of curing them to the point that they become fully functioning, healthy kidneys again. Treatment depends on how mild or severe your child's condition is.
Mild Cases
A mild case of dysplastic kidneys can mean that only one kidney is affected and the other is healthy. If the heathy kidney is functioning well enough, your child may not need treatment of any kind.
Severe Cases
The treatment of more extensive dysplastic kidneys depends on what the kidney function is. There is no cure for chronic kidney disease, but early detection of impaired kidney function and the implementation of appropriate treatment, significantly slows down the progression of the disease and can delay the need for kidney replacement therapy (kidney transplantation, dialysis) for many years. The decreased kidney function will require treatment for associated complications such as anemia (low red blood cells), bone disease, high blood pressure and an excess of protein in the urine.