Scars on the kidneys of a 3 yr old?

[zippytiptoes]

I have been told today by a blunt nurse specialist that our 3 yr old DD may have small scars on her kidneys. She couldn't be sure of this and needed to check something out. She was quite vague and nonspecific, but I have come away from the phone call feeling concerned.

Does anyone know what this means in reality and what implications this may have on her future health? She currently has real problems with weeing her pants and won't ever ask to go to the toilet for a wee.

My DD is 5 and had recurrent UTIs and minor wetting problem for few years. We recently saw paediatric urologist and has to go for scan in a few weeks to determine whether UTIs have scarred her kidneys. Doctor said was unlikely but they have to rule out this before looking at other possible causes. Has nurse mention scan to you? I think is called mag scan or something like that.

Your poor dd. She could be wetting cos of a UTI and can't help it, and the toilet has become an issue!

I have scarred kidneys, which were never picked up in childhood (though I wet my pants and bed a lot). It manifested as an adult when I was pregnant - loads of UTIs and also, sadly, kidney stones which were very very painful.

She needs to have a scan - oh flip I cant remember the name of it !!! - ah!!!

IVP - Intravenous Pyelogram I think! I have had 4. They inject a dye into your arm and then take 3 x rays of your Urinary tract - one of the dye going into the kidney, one of it coming out, then one of the bladder.

It shows up scarring in the kidneys and also reflux - any urine goign back up towards the kidney from the bladder - which can cause UTI.

Getting it treated at age 3 means the adult repercussions I suffered can be avoided. I only found all this out recently after years of kidney trouble. The treatment is a low-dose daily antibiotic, and in most children it is phased out in about 2 years.

Hope you get the help you need. xx

My DD (2.9) has just been referred for a DMSA scan to check for kidney scarring.

If there are scars, there is some risk of high blood pressure, which needs to be monitored, and also of kidney function problems in later life. However, these issues onyl affect a small proportion of those with scarring, and the monitoting means problems are picked up very quickly and treated appropriately.

Thanks everyone. She has had the DMSA scan with dye and they want to run it again to check. The woman was just so evasive and saying "I'm not prepared to comment"...whilst I appreciate she doesn't want to give me incorrect information, it just actually worried me, sort of half knowing.I'll know more next week.

What problems will occur if she does have high blood pressure?