Conditions our MRI scans have found

Duplicated ureters, also known as a duplicated collecting system, is the most common birth defect related to the urinary tract. Both males and females are affected, but the condition is more common in females. Ureters are long, narrow tubes that drain urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. Normally one ureter leads from each kidney to the bladder. In the case of duplicated ureters, two ureters drain a single kidney. This condition may affect one or both kidneys.

There is probably protein or hemorrhage (evidence of blood), or possibly a mass, inside the kidney, which is not usual. This can be from recent trauma (e.g. falling, other hard physical contact) or something affecting the kidney internally.  This will require further evaluation.

Cysts are fluid-filled sacs or pockets that can form in various parts of the body. Most cysts present little or no discomfort and are harmless. The majority disappear without treatment within a few months. Sometimes these cysts can rupture and release blood, known as hemorrhagic cysts. A hemorrhagic kidney cyst can be due to recent trauma.

Sometimes during embryonic development, the kidneys can fuse together to form a “horseshoe” appearance on imaging. This is a rare condition, with one estimate of 0.25% of the population having horseshoe kidneys.  Most people with horseshoe kidneys do not have symptoms, but may have a higher risk of kidney stones, urinary tract infections (UTIs), hydronephrosis (swelling of a kidney due to a build-up of urine), and a type of kidney cancer called “Wilms tumor” (this most commonly presents during childhood).

Hydronephrosis is the swelling (fullness) of a kidney due to the build-up of urine. It happens when urine cannot drain properly from the kidney to the bladder due to a blockage or obstruction. The condition can occur in one or both (bilateral) kidneys.

Kidney hypertrophy means that a kidney is larger than normal. There are many different causes for this from urinary, metabolic to infectious.