Is solitary kidney hereditary?

Kidney disease attracts so much attention because it often occurs in daily life. When people find that they have a solitary kidney, they worry that it may be hereditary. In fact, the causes of this disease may mostly include renal dysplasia, renal atrophy and many other types. As a patient, you must first check before you can make a judgment.

Pathological etiology

There is no significant difference between the embryonic development of URA and BRA, and the main problem lies in the ureteric bud. During the embryonic period, the renal tissue and ureteric bud on one side grow disorderly and fail to develop, and the contralateral kidney often shows compensatory hypertrophy. The undeveloped kidney lacks renal parenchyma, renal pelvis, and renal pedicle remnants, and the ureter is cord-like fibrous tissue without a lumen (Figure 1).

Disease diagnosis

1. Renal hypoplasia: Imaging examinations show that one kidney is significantly smaller, the renal pelvis and calyces are smaller but normal in morphology, the contralateral kidney is compensatory and enlarged, both ureters are present, and cystoscopy shows that the position of the ureteral opening is normal. The patient may have symptoms of hypertension.

2. Renal atrophy: Imaging examinations may show shrinkage of one or both renal shadows, distortion, deformation, and displacement of the renal pelvis and calyces; there are often primary causes such as pyelonephritis, renal contusion, and renal arteriolar sclerosis; if there are bilateral lesions, there may be progressive renal insufficiency, often with manifestations of hypertension.

3. Fusion of the kidney: Although it may be ectopic, intravenous urography, CT, and MRI examinations can show fusion of the two kidneys with their own ureters. Cystoscopy shows that the position of the ureteral opening is normal.

4. Self-amputation of kidney: The kidney loses its function due to tuberculosis, and caseous tissue is often accompanied by calcification, which can be easily distinguished by imaging examination.

Inspection method

Laboratory tests:

There is currently no relevant information

Other auxiliary examinations:

1. Cystoscopy: The bladder trigone is asymmetric, the ureteral ridge on one side is atrophied and flat, and the ureteral orifice is absent. Some have tube openings, but insertion is obstructed; the ureteral opening on the other side is mostly in the normal position, but may also be ectopic in the midline, posterior urethra or seminal vesicle.

2. Abdominal plain film + KUB intravenous urography (IVU) One side of the kidney is absent and not visible, the opposite side of the kidney is enlarged, and other malformations of the solitary kidney may be found.

3. Ultrasound, CT, renal scan, renal artery angiography, etc. can assist in diagnosis.