Renal growth slope in children with congenital and acquired solitary functioning kidneys

• Main Authors: Seung Myeon Choi, Hyun Joo Shin, Haesung Yoon, Myeongjee Lee, Yong Seung Lee, Sang Won Han, Mi-Jung Lee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korean Society of Ultrasound in Medicine 2021-07-01
• Series: Ultrasonography
• Subjects: solitary kidney; unilateral renal agenesis; multicystic dysplastic kidney; nephrectomy; ultrasonography
• Online Access: http://www.e-ultrasonography.org/upload/usg-20028.pdf
• ISSN: 2288-5919; 2288-5943

Purpose This study aimed to analyze the renal growth slope in children with congenital and acquired solitary functioning kidneys. Methods This retrospective study included all renal ultrasonography examinations performed in children in the agenesis, multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK), or nephrectomy group between September 2002 and February 2019. We reviewed the images and recorded the contralateral kidney size only when there was no focal lesion. Linear mixed model or piecewise linear mixed model analyses with a time point of 24 months of age were performed. Results There were 132 patients, including 26 patients in the agenesis group, 35 in the MCDK group, and 71 in the nephrectomy group. The nephrectomy group showed the largest baseline kidney size (7.4 cm vs. 5.3 cm in the agenesis group [P<0.001] and 5.2 cm in the MCDK group [P<0.001]) and the smallest overall growth slope (0.04 cm/mo vs. 0.06 cm/mo in the agenesis group [P=0.004] and 0.07 cm/mo in the MCDK group [P<0.001]). However, considering the time point of 24 months for reaching adult renal function, there were significant changes in slope, from 0.1 cm/mo before 24 months of age to 0.03 cm/mo after 24 months of age in all three groups (P<0.001), without a significant difference among the groups. Conclusion Significant changes were found in the renal growth slope before and after 24 months of age, with no significant difference between congenital and acquired solitary functioning kidneys.