The kidneys are more than just a way for the body to eliminate waste products. They ensure that that the body has enough red blood cells by secreting a hormone to stimulate red blood cell production when the level is low. They produce vitamin D to help maintain strong bones. The kidneys also regulate the electrolyte levels, as well as the acids and bases.
Renal Vein Thrombosis
Renal vein thrombosis refers to clots in the renal vein, or the blood vessel that collects the blood from the kidneys. This is a rare disorder, which usually occurs as a result of a tumor in the renal vein, severe dehydration, inflammation in the capillary of the kidney, or from nephrotic syndrome, as explained by Jack McAninch, M.D., Chief of the Department of Urology at San Francisco General Hospital in "Smith's General Urology." In nephrotic syndrome, the kidneys are so damaged that they cannot hold onto proteins, including the antithrombin III protein, which fights against clot formation. Clots in the renal vein can interfere with the blood draining from the kidney and lead to an enlarged kidney.
Prune Belly Syndrome
This is a rare congenital disorder, also called Eagle-Barrett syndrome, where the muscles in the abdomen, ureters and bladder do not develop correctly. It is called prune belly syndrome because the abdomen looks wrinkled like a prune. Babies born with this condition may have lung and skeletal abnormalities, and male babies can have both testicles in the abdomen, instead of the scrotum. According to the PruneBelly.org, approximately 95 percent of the babies with this condition are male. Babies with prune belly syndrome also have long, dilated ureters. The ureters are tubes that carry the urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Approximately 80 percent of the babies with prune belly have reflux, whereby the urine goes from the bladder back to the ureters, according to David Hackam, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in "Schwartz's Principles of Surgery." The reflux of urine can lead to urinary tract infections and enlarged kidneys.
Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease
This kidney disease is a hereditary disease caused by a gene mutation. One person out of every 1,000 has this disorder, and it causes five percent of all cases of renal failure, writes Drew Cutler, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine in "The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals." Patients with this disease develop many cysts in both kidneys. They usually do not have any symptoms until they reach adulthood. At that time, they may have hemorrhaging into the cysts, which causes hematuria, or blood in the urine. They risk developing kidney infections and kidney stones. The numerous cysts cause the kidney to become enlarged. Dr. Cutler writes that 35 to 45 percent of these patients have kidney failure by the time they are 60 years old.
References
- "Schwartz's Principles of Surgery"; F. Charles Brunicardi, M.D.; 2010
- "Smith's General Urology"; Emil Tanagho, M.D., Jack McAninch, M.D.; 2008
- The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals: Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease
- Prune Belly Syndrome Network
