Paediatric Urology

Dr. Oriol Martín Solé · Information for families

Kidney conditions in children

An overview of kidney conditions in childhood: how kidneys develop, where they are located and the problems that can affect them.

Understanding kidney conditions

9 conditions
Complete duplication: two separate ureters reach the bladder; the upper-pole ureter, in blue, inserts below and medial to the lower-pole ureter, in ochre, following the Weigert-Meyer rule.

Duplex kidney

One kidney has two systems for collecting and draining urine.

A kidney replaced by multiple cysts of different sizes, beside a normal kidney.

Multicystic dysplastic kidney

A congenital condition in which multiple cysts replace the tissue of a non-functioning kidney.

Unilateral example: one kidney and its ureter; a dashed outline marks the empty position.

Renal agenesis

Congenital absence of a kidney because it did not develop during pregnancy.

A fluid-filled cyst on the outer part of a kidney.

Kidney cyst

A fluid-filled cavity that forms within or on the surface of a kidney.

An example of a localised injury to kidney tissue.

Kidney trauma

An injury to the kidney caused by a blow, a fall or an accident.

Two kidneys joined at their lower poles by a bridge of tissue.

Horseshoe kidney

Congenital fusion of the two kidneys, usually at their lower poles, forming a horseshoe shape.

One kidney low in the pelvis near the bladder, and the other in its usual position.

Pelvic kidney

A kidney that remains in the pelvis instead of moving up to its usual position.

Both kidneys on the same side of the body, with one ureter crossing the midline.

Crossed renal ectopia

A kidney located on the opposite side of the body, often joined to the other kidney.

Small stones in the urine-collecting spaces within a kidney.

Kidney stones

Stones that form in the kidney when crystals in the urine build up.

Illustrative diagrams show one example of each condition and do not represent every variation.

Further reading
All conditions