Anyone know about HYDRONEPHROSIS?

[MightyMom]

Good morning,

My DS8 has cerebral palsy. His rehabilitation doctor ordered a renal ultrasound when he started having a few VERY minor issues with urination. I chalked it up to poor muscle control because of his CP.

We went forward with the renal ultrasound earlier this week. I almost cancelled it because it was at a children's hospital 3 hours away..... but we also had some other appointments with specialists at the same hospital.

I'm glad we decided to do it. The doctor said his left kidney had mild hydronephrosis. She said there was nothing more she could do for him, so she sent us to a urologist.

The urologist does not have any appointments avaiable until April 7th... and that seems sooooooo far away!

My questions are (and I hope someone can give me insight)

How common is hydronephrosis in children my son's age?
I've seen lots online pertaining to infants.... but nothing to my son's age.

Is this somehow related to cerebral palsy?
I thought I knew EVERYTHING about CP in my son...... did I miss this?

Is this serious?
I've read that mild hydronephrosis in infants usually goes away on it's own before the first year.... is this possible with my son too???

Thanks! I appreciate any help I might get.

 

[Scutapipig]

I'm not knowledgeable on CP, nor on hydronephrosis in boys, but I can share that my daughter was diagnosed with hydronephrosis in utero, along with Vesicoureteral Reflux after she was born. She had a number of other issues with her kidneys at birth, also.

The urologist referral is a good thing, but I know the waiting can be awful when you simply want to get things resolved and have an answer. Perhaps call to see if you can be placed on a cancellation list so you can get in for a consultation earlier than April.

Things to watch for would be low grade fevers, foul smelling urine, and urine that looks cloudy. If your son is able to share with you whether it burns or hurts when he urinates, take note of that, also. Lower back pain that causes a child to flinch when you gently push on the sides of the lower back (where your kidneys are nearest) can be an indication of a kidney infection and in our case, was accompanied by a fever. If any of those seem to be occurring, contact your doctor's office since he may have the beginnings of a UTI, which would be the one concern I would monitor until you are able to get to the consult with the urologist. If left untreated for a length of time, hydronephrosis or kidney infections can cause damage to the kidney, but we have been told it would have had to occur for quite a length of time. You would more than likely be treating your child fairly quickly if any of those situations occurred, so the chances of damage are probably minimal.

In spite of the number of issues my daughter went through in her early years, she is healthy and happy, and is doing extremely well. You would have no indication she went through four surgeries, numerous kidney infections, and only has one kidney remaining. We just had a check up at the urologist for the first time in 5 years and her left kidney is larger than expected and functioning at 100%. We never expected to hear those words and it shows that the body will compensate for any deficiencies. As frightening as it seems that there may be an issue with your child, there are many options available medically that can resolve what your son may be facing.

This is just a little bit of our experience with hydronephrosis and I'm sure there are others who can offer insight from their point of view and give you ideas and options to pursue. I did want to post to put your mind at ease that you are not alone and to give you a bit of hope.

 

[Scutapipig]

And might I just add that I'm looking at your photo and you are a beautiful family! Your boys are so handsome!

 

[MightyMom]

And might I just add that I'm looking at your photo and you are a beautiful family! Your boys are so handsome!

Awww. . That was sweet. It was just the "pick me up" I needed today. Thank you also for your insight into hydronephrosis. You're right.... waiting is really tough. April seems so far away! I'll call first thing tomorrow morning to find out if we can be put on the cancellation list.

My son is very verbal and quite articulate. Sometimes when he urinates he flinches initially because it hurts. But it always goes away quickly. He also quite frequently complains of lower back pain... but again... he has cerebral palsy and I figured sitting in a wheelchair for 7 hours a day at school would cause his back to hurt. Now I'm questioning everything and kicking myself for not taking some of these signs more seriously.

On the other hand.... they did say MILD hydronephrosis..... I'm always happy to hear the word "mild" associated with any of my son's many diagnosis'.

Thanks again! I really appreciate it.

 

[taximomfor4]

My 9yo dd has hydronehrosis in her left kidney. it was diagnosed during a prenatal ultrasound. It's been re-checked every couple of years since then, and still remains. It is "moderate." At each re-check, they do an ultrasound but also do a series to check for urine backing up into the kidneys...THAT she has never shown, myuch to her urologist's surprise. In fact, they are are surprised that her condition has never improved, and that with her degree of retention she's never gotten a kidney infection. They tend to see hydronephrosis resolve itself by birth, or soon after, but hers has never even improved to "mild."

I am told to just watch for signs of kidney infection, because she is prone to them (although like I said, she hasn't gotten one yet, knock on wood). Also, they just told me "Not a huge deal, just don't let her donate her other kidney to anyone!"

Among dd's collection of issues, this one I just tend to brush aside completely. So try to not worry so much. Just if you suspect an infection, contact your ped for a urine test. Infections are very treatable!

 

[SueM in MN]

A lot of kids with CP have some backup of urine because of not being able to completely empty their bladder due to spasticity.
The hydronephrosis is certainly something to check out, but it may not really mean anything. The biggest concern with it is urinary tract infections, as was already mentioned.
Here's a link that talks about urinary problems specifically in people with CP. (scroll down, because it's near the end of the page). My DD had the problem of small bladder volume and high pressures that the article mentiones. THru medication, she was able to get her bladder volume up, but still had high bladder volume. Because of that, they were concerned about hydronephrosis. She got Botox to decrease her bladder spasms, which helped a lot.
The article also mentions that the most hydronephrosis complication are seen with people who can't void, so if your DS can empty his bladder, that's not as much of a concern.