Doubling the kidneys is a congenital pathology, which in most cases is observed in girls and more often has a one-sided character. The reasons for this phenomenon are very different. A doubling of the kidney begins to be laid and develop in the child even in the womb.
Doubling of the kidneys. What it is?
The kidneys in the human body are represented by a paired organ. They perform the function of removing toxins from the body. Everyone knows about it. But not everyone has heard that there is a doubling of the kidney. What it is? This division organ into two halves fused together the poles. Each part is equipped with its own blood supply system. Outwardly, such a kidney is much larger in size. The development of pathology occurs during fetal development.
Doubling the kidneys in children is the most common congenital malformation of the urinary system. An altered kidney does not pose a threat to human life, but is often the cause of other diseases.
The structure of the renal pelvis
This structure has the shape of a funnel, which is formed as a result of the fusion of large and small cups of the kidney. It is in the pelvis that urine accumulates. The surface of the inner part of the pelvis is covered with mucous membrane. In the wall of the pelvis there are fibers that make peristaltic contractions, as a result of which urine flows down the urinary tract.
Due to the impermeability of the walls of the pelvis and ureters, the liquid with the substances dissolved in it never enters the peritoneal cavity, but always remains within the urinary system.
Complete kidney doubling
Sometimes a person is diagnosed with a complete doubling of the kidney. What it is? This is an abnormal phenomenon when the kidney is divided into two parts by a groove. The upper and lower lobules are distinguished, with the upper most often underdeveloped and smaller in size. Each of them has its own artery and its own cup-renal pelvis, which is usually underdeveloped in the upper half. There are also own ureters. Each goes separately and ends in the bladder with its mouth. The inflow of one ureter into another is possible.
So, instead of one, there are two separate kidneys. In itself, a complete doubling of the kidney does not bother a person, therefore, it is not necessary to treat it. But it leads to other diseases.
Problems arising from a doubling of the kidney
Often in one half of a doubled organ, a disease can begin to develop. Complete doubling of the kidney can provoke pyelonephritis, urolithiasis, nephrosis, polycystic. It happens that the mouth does not flow into the ureter, but into some other organ. It can be the rectum, cervix, vagina. In this case, a person may feel urine constantly leaking from the ureter.
Incomplete doubling of the kidney
This pathology is observed when a person develops one large kidney with clearly defined upper and lower sections. Each of them has its own renal artery. N, each part of the doubled organ does not have its own pyelocaliceal system; they have one in two departments. There are two ureters, but they are interconnected and flow into the bladder as a single trunk.
In medical practice, cases have been recorded when incomplete doubling of the left kidney, and not the right, is more often observed. Most people with such an anomaly live to old age, not suspecting its existence. Incomplete doubling of the kidney does not cause inflammatory processes in the organ.
Causes of kidney doubling
If the pathology does not manifest itself in any way, what happens when a person has an incomplete doubling of the left kidney or right - it does not matter, you may not know about the abnormal development of this organ. It is detected by chance, during an ultrasound examination of some other organ located in the vicinity of the kidney. Doctors often diagnose a doubling of the kidney in a newborn baby. The reasons for this phenomenon can be very different. Let's consider some of them:
- Radioactive irradiation of the fetus in the womb, if her labor activity lasts the entire gestation period at the enterprise, the production cycle of which is associated with radiation.
- Predisposition by inheritance if one or both parents have a doubling of the kidney. What it is is described above in this article.
- Poisoning with drugs during childbearing, including hormonal ones.
- The presence of bad habits in a pregnant woman: abuse of alcohol, drugs, etc.
- Often and regularly showing vitamin deficiency during pregnancy. There are many places on our planet where fruits and vegetables do not grow due to harsh climatic conditions. But women live and give birth to children there. So the expectant mother suffers from a lack of vitamins and minerals. Well, if everything goes well, and the child does not have such a disease as a doubling of the kidney. The reasons, of course, may be other, but this can be ruled out for the sake of the health of the future baby.
Diagnostics
If no examination was carried out when the person was a child, a doubling of the kidney is diagnosed, usually after an inflammatory disease of the organ begins or by accident, during a preventive examination using diagnostic devices. First you need to do an ultrasound scan. If this is not enough, the doctor prescribes other methods.
When a person has no pathology, then in his body there are only two mouths of the ureter: one for each kidney. If the doctor suspects a doubling of the kidney, a cystoscopy is prescribed for the patient. With its help, it is determined how many mouths the ureter has: if three, then the diagnosis of "doubling the kidney" was confirmed. To determine the size of the kidney enlargement and to identify the presence or absence of a third renal pelvis and additional ureter, the doctor prescribes excretory urography.
Symptoms
Doubling the kidney does not manifest itself in any way. It does not need to be treated until it causes any other disease of this organ. The signs of kidney doubling are different. Typically, inflammatory processes are characterized by:
- Rise in temperature.
- Weakness and swelling.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Regular headaches.
- Increase in pressure.
- A dull shade of urine.
- Reverse outflow of urine.
- Discomfort and pain in the lumbar.
- Urinary incontinence.
- Unpleasant sensations when urinating.
- Renal colic.
- The occurrence of an infection in the urinary canal.
All signs will appear at once, or each individually, will depend on the disease.
Treatment
Duplication of the kidneys is characterized by complete or incomplete division of the organ into two parts. If this does not bother the person, nothing needs to be done. It is enough to lead a healthy lifestyle and regularly undergo preventive examinations. This pathology provokes inflammatory processes in the kidney when its complete doubling occurs. Even so, there is no point in doing a complicated operation to fix the defect. Throughout his life, he may not cause a person troubles.
Therapeutic treatment is usually used to diagnose some serious disease, such as pyelonephritis, if it was caused by this anomaly. When the disease becomes chronic and cannot be treated with conservative methods, then they resort to surgical intervention, which is aimed at correcting the cause of the complication. But always try to save a kidney. It is removed only when it has completely lost its performance.
Prevention
If during the examination revealed a doubling of the kidney, there is no need to panic. This diagnosis is not fatal. When the pathology of the organ does not bother, this will not affect the quality of human life. You need to carefully monitor your health:
- To abandon bad habits, if any, had a place to be: stop drinking, smoke, take drugs.
- Change work if it is associated with toxic chemicals.
- Urgently switch to a proper balanced diet.
- Strictly monitor the mode of work and rest.
If one of the relatives has a doubling of the kidney, what is it, the whole family knows. Therefore, when a woman from your family will bear a child, you need to treat this period with double attention. The baby in the womb must develop, receiving the necessary vitamins. A woman is obliged to protect her health and not to take alcohol, drugs, drugs that can cause poisoning of the child.