Medullary Sponge Kidney
TREATMENT There is no directed treatment for MSK. Patients who experience nephrolithiasis should increase their water intake and may benefit from treatment with thiazides and potassium citrate. When stones occur,…
Nephronophthisis/Medullary Cystic Kidney Disease Complex
Type 2 MCKD (also known as familial juvenile hyperuricemic nephropathy) reflects mutations in the UMOD gene, located on chromosome 16p12. This gene encodes uromodulin, also known as Tamm-Horsfall mucoprotein, which…
Polycystic Kidney Disease: Gross Appearance
At present, no directed treatment is available to prevent or slow further cyst formation, although several experimental therapies are being studied. Instead, treatment is chiefly directed at reducing the morbidity…
Polycystic Kidney Disease: Radiographic Findings
As with ADPKD, no directed treatment is available to prevent or slow cyst formation, and thus care should be directed toward managing complications of renal or hepatic dysfunction. Patients who…
Renal Hypoplasia
TREATMENT The primary goal in the treatment of renal hypoplasia is to delay the onset of ESRD. As with any form of progressive renal insufficiency, controlling hypertension is essential because…
Simple Cysts
Bosniak III lesions have thickened, often calcified, smooth or irregular walls and septa that possess measureable enhancement (>15 HU). About half of these cysts are malignant, and thus surgical extirpation…
Renal Dysplasia
In most cases, the diagnosis of MCDK is first suspected through prenatal ultrasound. It may be difficult, however, to distinguish MCDK from congenital hydronephrosis, which is more common. In general,…
Renal Fusion
A small subset of patients with horseshoe kidney have concomitant abnormalities in other organ systems. Associated genital abnormalities include hypospadias and undescended testes in males, or vaginal septation and bicornuate…
Anomalies in Number of Kidneys: Supernumerary Kidney
Supernumerary kidneys are often asymptomatic and do not affect overall renal function. Thus a significant number of such kidneys may never be discovered or may be noted only as incidental…
Anomalies in Number of Kidneys: Unilateral Renal Agenesis
Many patients with unilateral renal agenesis have associated abnormalities in other organ systems. Indeed, the absence of a kidney may not even be discovered until an associated abnormality is investigated….
