Duplex kidneys anyone?

[wheresmyfairygodmother]

My DD (5) has had scan due to abdominal pains which showed she has one duplex kidney.
Further investigation will follow as to extent & whether this is the cause of her abdominal pain.
I don't know what to think, utterly shocked, I'd never heard of it before. Any experience on here?

[KathyBeale]

I've got a duplex 'collecting system' in my kidney. So I have two tubes draining mine. It's never caused me much bother other than recurrent UTIs which were treated with long-term, low-dose antibiotics. They also flagged it up on my notes when I had an operation in case I got dehydrated. That's the extent of it really.

Does your daughter have a whole duplex kidney?

[wheresmyfairygodmother]

Thank you KathyB for your reply.

I've no idea if it's a whole one, didn't know there was varying degrees?! It's only one side. When DD had the scan, the scanner said she had 2 tubes coming out & said it didn't look as though there was a blockage but one half looked enlarged. She hasn't suffered from uti's particularly aside from thrush (is that a uti?) Have you ever had abdominal or any other pain because of your duplex kidney? GP said she could wait up to 6 was for a referral to paeds. She's had pain for over 6 months, it's good to be possibly nearer an answer but scary to be facing something I know nothing about.

[KathyBeale]

I have pain sometimes. It's all been much better since my first pregnancy - not much good for your little girl! I suffered badly in my 20s with lots of infections and pain. It used to make me sick and I still get twinges when I've not drunk enough but it's not anything that bothers me a lot.

This is what I've got...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duplicated_ureter

Hope you get some answers soon.

www.gosh.nhs.uk/teenagers/your-condition/duplex-kidney

[wheresmyfairygodmother]

Thanks, it might be the same thing reading that. Two tubes, lower & upper lobe of kidney. At least she's been diagnosed & now has a paed appt in diary for further investigation. It's interesting you mentioned needing to drink enough, she can be iffy on taking in enough fluids left to her own devices so I'll keep an eye on that.
Thanks again for taking time to share.

[MaMattoo]

Yup! Another one here. Duplex on both sides! Have had Uti whilst a teen and too busy to drink. Hasn't been a pain or a bother and I didn't know about it till I was laid up with pain and they discovered kidney stones which are very painful. They look 3 years to develop as the abdominal pains came back every 15 months or so, no blood in urine or fever. And after 3 years I had a scan and found the multiple systems inside me and then the stone. The debris that eventually turns into a stone is what hurts too. Hope it's not that!!
All I can say is - it's unusual, and the only thing you need to do is keep the system flushed. Drink!! Also if it helps - it's virtually impossible to her drunk (or maybe that's just me)

[rollercoastermum]

Yup! Another one here. Duplex collecting systems on both sides. Found out by accident when I had kidney stones. Just need to drink loads. Causes no other issues at all.