Home HealthTopics Health Centers Reference Library Research
Join us on Facebook Join us on Facebook Share on Facebook
Share

Urinary and Genital Disorders (Children)

Kidney scarring

03/18/2004

Question:

my grand-daughter has kidney scarring from reflux, will this eventually lead to kidney failure as she grows? or will it resolve itself?

Answer:

Prevention of renal scarring is the main reason children with urinary tract infections are evaluated. Scarring never resolves and what is gone is gone. The goal is to prevent any further kidney tissue from being damaged. Fortunately there is a lot of kidney tissue, and kidney failure is pretty uncommon as a result of scarring, at least here in the United States.

Perhaps a bigger worry is whether high blood pressure may develop over the course of time. A child may be either born with renal scarring or it may develop as injury from repeated infections. It is relatively uncommon for scarring to develop after early childhood, that is 5 years of age, especially if the child has good medical care and receives antibiotics if an infection were to develop.

For more information:

Go to the Urinary and Genital Disorders (Children) health topic, where you can:

Response by:

Rama Jayanthi, MD Rama Jayanthi, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Urology
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University