Journal of South Asian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Register      Login

VOLUME 13 , ISSUE 6 ( November-December, 2021 ) > List of Articles

CASE REPORT

Solitary Kidney: Harbinger of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes

Surya Malik, Shabbir A Sheikh

Keywords : Pregnancy, Solitary kidney, Unilateral renal agenesis

Citation Information : Malik S, Sheikh SA. Solitary Kidney: Harbinger of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes. J South Asian Feder Obs Gynae 2021; 13 (6):438-440.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10006-1977

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 04-03-2022

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2021; The Author(s).


Abstract

Aim and objective: The aim of the article was to throw light on the potential risks associated with solitary kidney, especially in relation to maternal and fetal outcomes. Background: Solitary kidney can be caused by three main reasons: Being born with a single kidney, losing one because of a disease, or an injury, or donating a kidney to a family member or friend who has lost one of their own. Case description: A 38-year-old G7P4A2 patient with a 36.2-week period of gestation was admitted with antepartum hemorrhage. The patient was thoroughly examined and necessary investigations were done. On pelvic examination, there was mild spotting present. On routine investigations, she was found to be severely anemic and chronic kidney disease stage 5. According to the nephrology team's advice, an ultrasound of kidney, ureter, and urinary bladder (KUB) was done. It was detected as a case of congenital unilateral agenesis of the kidney. She had complaints of intermittent mild loin pain and dysuria. The patient was immediately transfused four units of packed cells for correction of anemia and was given steroid cover for fetal lung maturity. The patient was taken for hemodialysis in view of end-stage renal disease. After one session of hemodialysis, the patient was taken up for Cesarean section in view of placenta previa with a deranged renal profile. A single alive female baby weighing 2200 g was extracted with an Apgar score of 8, 9. The intraoperative period was uneventful. The patient was transferred to the intensive care unit for postoperative care. Conclusion: Solitary kidney from renal agenesis is a significant and independent risk factor for adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Clinical significance: As unilateral renal agenesis (URA) is associated with potential risks, hence preconception counseling, close monitoring throughout their antenatal and postpartum period, and a multidisciplinary approach are required to have good pregnancy outcomes in these patients.


HTML PDF Share
  1. Hiraoka M, Tsukahara H, Ohshima Y, et al. Renal aplasia is a predominant cause of congenital solitary kidney. Kidney Int 2002;61(5):1840–1844. DOI: 10.1046/j.1523-1755.2002.00322.x.
  2. Glukovschi G, Gadalean F, Gluhovschi C, et al. The solitary kidney – a nephrological perspective. Rom J Intern Med 2013;51(2):80–88. PMID: 24294810.
  3. Robson WL, Leung AK, Rogers RC. Unilateral renal agenesis. Adv Pediatr 1995;42:575–592. PMID: 8540439.
  4. Woolf AS, Hillman KA. Unilateral renal agenesis and the congenital solitary functioning kidney: developmental, genetic and clinical perspectives. BJU Int 2007;99(1):17–21. DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2006.06504.x.
  5. Schreuder MF, Westland R, Van Wijk JA. Unilateral multicystic dysplastic kidney: a meta analysis of observational studies on the incidence, associated urinary tract malformations and the contralateral kidney. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2009;24(6):1810–1818. DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfn777.
  6. Westland R, Schreuder MF, Ket CF, et al. Unilateral renal agenesis: a systematic review on associated anomalies and renal injury. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2013;28(7):1844–1855. DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gft012.
  7. Taal MW, Brenner BM. Predicting initiation and progression of chronic kidney disease: developing renal risk scores. Kidney Int 2006;70(10):1694–1705. DOI: 10.1038/sj.ki.5001794.
  8. Kasiske BL, Ma JZ, Louis TA, et al. Long term effects of reduced renal mass in humans. Kidney Int 1995;48(3):814–819. DOI: 10.1038/ki.1995.355.
  9. Basturk T, Koc Y, Ucar Z, et al. Renal damage frequency in patients with solitary kidney and factors that affect progression. Int J Nephrol 2015;2015:876907. DOI: 10.1155/2015/876907.
  10. Dousdampanis P, Trigka K, Musso CG, et al. Hyperuricaemia and chronic kidney disease: an enigma yet to be solved. Ren Fail 2014;36(9):1351–1359. DOI: 10.3109/0886022X.2014.947516.
  11. Sanna-Cherchi S, Ravani P, Corbani V, et al. Renal outcome in patients with congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract. Kidney Int 2009;76(5):528–533. DOI: 10.1038/ki.2009.220.
  12. Kendrick J, Holmen J, You Z, et al. Association of unilateral renal agenesis with adverse outcomes in pregnancy: a matched cohort study. Am J Kidney Dis 2017;70(4):506–511. DOI: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2017.02.367.
  13. Argueso LR, Ritchey ML, Boyle ET Jr, et al. Prognosis of patients with unilateral renal agenesis. Pediatr Nephrol 1992;6(5):412–416. DOI: 10.1007/BF00873996.
  14. Piccoli GB, Nazha M, Vigotti FN, et al. Are women with a solitary kidney at risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes? Nephrol Dial Transplant 2015;30(Suppl. 3):iii174–iii194. DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfv175.19.
  15. Shekhtman MM, Petrova SB. Pregnancy and labor in females with solitary kidney. Ter Arkh 2000;72(6):39–42. PMID: 10900647.
  16. Steele SEJ, Terry JE, Page LM, et al. Pregnancy in women known to be living with a single kidney. Obstet Med 2019;12(1):22–26. DOI: 10.1177/1753495X18784081.
PDF Share
PDF Share

© Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) LTD.