The doubling of the kidney in children

Of all the vices of the kidney, the most common is its doubling. Today this anomaly can be identified at an early age, when carrying out the screening ultrasound.

Previously it was found only in children who had complained of pain in the abdomen and lower back, had lesions of inflammatory or other nature.

Often this anomaly does not affect the health and quality of life, many adults only in old age learn of such of their anomalies, not noting over the years, problems with the genitourinary system. Functionality on such a deviation is often not affected.

The doubling of the kidney in a child: the definition of

Relative to other malformations and anomalies, doubling of the kidney is the most common. According to statistics, girls are twice as kidney prevail over boys, and unilateral damage prevails over the bilateral anomalies.

Modern physicians understand by the term “double kidney” only a congenital defect. It is formed by partial or complete doubling of the body on one side (rarely bilateral).

On average, the prevalence of the anomaly is about 10% of all known defects of the urinary system of children. It is noted in 1 in 150 newborns, with unilateral defects account for up to 89%, and bilateral lesions – the remaining 11%.

Visually it looks like two fused kidneys, in one of the poles, and each of them has its own blood supply. Additional kidney is usually smaller than normal (although variants are possible, and exceeding in size). Serious physical defects and defective functioning of the urinary system, the very existence of an extension of the kidney does not form. However, this anomaly can be combined with other malformations or predisposes to the formation of certain diseases throughout life.

If the abnormal kidney is larger than normal, it can be detected for more vessels, increased number of renal calyx or pelvis. In some children the kidney is almost entirely duplicated from each kidney the ureter leaves, but one is slightly worse developed.

Is it dangerous doubling of the kidney for a child?

With the development of ultrasound similar anomaly began to identify in children, although it existed earlier. Many older people become aware of the presence of such anomalies, after living a full life without any problems. Therefore, no physical inconveniences or delays in the development of such a Vice does not work, and doctors often only see kids recommending parents only complete care and nutrition, prevention of various lesions of the urinary tract. If you have any problems, may follow the administration of drugs in accordance with the identified symptoms, surgical correction is required in exceptional cases.

Parents should not worry and panic about these variations, significant differences in child’s development there, and it is important to ensure that the kidneys are not overloaded and not inflamed.

What are the reasons for this defect?

Like many other malformations, kidney problems occur in utero, at the period of laying organs and systems, and the apparent effects in each specific case can be a lot like related.

The exact cause doctors can not name, but there are several factors that increase the risk of birth of children with anomalies of the genitourinary system:

• Bad habits of parents and their influence on the fetus. This is especially true for mothers but the impact on the father’s body is also important. Smoking, alcohol and psychoactive drugs affect the correctness of a bookmark of tissues and organs, especially in the early stages of pregnancy. In this regard, the rejection of these habits in the planning period addresses at least some of the risk factors.
• toxic compounds enter the body in different ways. This is especially important when working in hazardous occupations, contact with chemicals and poisons in the home.
• high doses of radiation that affect tissue of the fetus. Especially dangerous x-rays, CT scan or radiography frequent in the early periods of pregnancy. Equally dangerous is radiation treatment of certain diseases before pregnancy.
• medications with teratogenic and embryotoxic effect. The greatest danger these drugs present at the time of conception and up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. The decision on assignment of drugs to pregnant women in this period forms only a doctor, not to harm the embryo.
• sharp and pronounced deficiency of vitamins, minerals, nutrients. Often it happens with a very bad woman’s diet, and starvation diets, as therapeutic and diet.
• the influence of heredity. Often there is the connection between the presence of double kidney from a parent or close relatives, and the identification of her child. If both parents have a similar anomaly, the chance to obtain it from the child increase significantly.

The structural features of the double kidneys of a child

The result of the effect of all adverse factors may be the formation of two areas of growth buds that gradually formed two separate Cup-pelvis-plating system, but ultimately the kidneys are not separated with each other, whereby twice the kidney will be covered by a common fibrous capsule. For each kidney the blood vessels are separate, they are moving away from the aorta, or will have one common arterial trunk, and then divided into two isolated parts, coming in the end separately to each kidney.

In some cases, the arteries in the double kidneys can penetrate from one kidney to another, which then may generate some difficulties if you need to remove additional abnormal kidneys.

Ultrasound double kidney looks larger than usual, one of the more symmetrical and orderly, while the second is more active functionally.

Important!

With additional separate input of the second of the ureter into the bladder projections of health better, it reduces the risks of various complications of diseases.

Particularities of the classification of the kidney duplication

The degree of bifurcation of the kidneys can distinguish several variants of pathology. Based on the degree of formation of the Cup-pelvis-plating system, and the kidney tissue:

• complete duplication of the kidney, when every body will have their own ureter neck, pyelocaliceal system, but they are located parallel to one another and soldered together. Both kidneys belong to the separately functioning bodies.
• incomplete (partial) doublingwhen doubled becomes only the renal parenchyma and vascular system, while the Cup-pelvis-plating system with a single ureter.

Doubling is possible on the left or right, in extreme cases possibly doubling both kidneys.

A special variant of the defect becomes a doubling of the Cup-pelvis-plating system with a single parenchyma and capsule of the kidney.

The doubling of the kidney in children: symptoms

The anomaly is typically asymptomatic, but malformation predisposes to the formation of more frequent diseases of the urinary system in General. Usually the symptoms arise with the development of secondary (on the background of existing doubling) lesions of the kidneys, but this is not all children and not in all cases. Usually the symptoms of various pathologies typical for adult age, sometimes old.

If we talk about symptoms in General, you can expect:

• Inflammatory processes in the kidneys and urinary tract
• Violation of urination in the pelvis (delay of urine in them)
• Urination disorders of different kinds, but usually without pain
• Loss of control of urination, in the case that the abnormal ureter duplicated kidney is fused with the urethra or vagina
• The development of kidney stones (salt in the urine of children, and small concrements)
• Periods of development of edema
• Episodes of increasing pressure.

Often these symptoms are mild, appear only periodically, minor symptoms.

In the formation of the inflammatory process in the region of the doubled kidney may be typical:

With the proliferation of microbes on the region of the bladder and urethra join the symptoms of cystitis or urethritis.

What complications are possible when the doubling?

If it’s a one-way process, double kidney rarely produces complications, and diagnosed accidentally. In case of bilateral lesions, the condition more dangerous. In addition, with incomplete doubling of the forecasts are also better than in the complete duplication of the kidney.

In children with a doubling were to occur such diseases as:

•  Pyelonephritis – an inflammatory process of bacterial origin, which involves inflammation of the pelvis and calyx of the kidney.
• The formation of hydronephrosis, retention of urine in the kidneys, leading to the atrophic phenomena.
• Predisposition to kidney stones, formed when the first sand and small stones, which can block the ureters and cause obstruction that forms a renal colic.
• Tuberculosis of the kidney, if the pathogens penetrate through the blood or lymph flow and to thrive in renal tissue. Long-term this pathology can itself does not show.
• Neoplastic processes in the accessory kidney, due to the fact that the kidney atypical education for the body. Long-term tumors also do not demonstrate malignant more dangerous in terms of the forecast.
• The development of a wandering kidney is one of the complications due to the greater mobility of the anomalous double kidney. The stronger the kidney descends or moves, the worse the prognosis.

What methods determined?

Today, along with other countries, we have in the first year of life used ultrasound screening to identify the activity of the kidneys, so the abnormalities detected quickly and early. After identifying the doubling of the kidneys, a decision on the tactics of further observation or treatment. Usually prescribe additional examinations in the form of x-rays with contrast, CT or MRI, urography and duplex scanning of renal vessels to determine blood vessels of the kidneys, cystoscopy is also shown.

Equally important to conduct a number of tests that reflect kidney function and infection. These include clinical analysis of urine, urethral swab and urine cultures, biochemistry of the urine. The growth and development of the baby he carried out surveys to assess renal function in the dynamics or control studies to determine the efficacy of therapeutic interventions.

Methods of treatment of the doubling of the kidneys

In the case of full functioning of the kidney and the absence of secondary complications, there is no need for surgery or any other treatment. The child will periodically undergo preventive medical examination. May only need to diet, which normalizes the work of kidneys. It is important to eliminate or reduce in the diet the amount smoked, spicy and salty foods, sauces and marinades with salt and pepper, and fried foods. These foods and dishes significantly affect the kidneys.

Secondary complications child treated accordingly, the pathology, the decision about surgery to remove kidney plus take only if it is affected by the pathological process.