Urinary and Genital Disorders (Children)

Question about lab results for my son

06/13/2008 02:41PM

Question:

My son is 17 months old and is being referred to a pediatric endocrinologist for short stature. He has not had any linear growth in 4 months. He is well under 3% in height and weight. Our pediatrician sent him for blood work and his BUN was 22, Creatinine was 0.3, and his BUN/C ratio was 73. He was born with Hydronephrosis which spontaneously resolved when he was 3 months old. He had a follow-up ultrasound when he was 12 months old, which showed a normal kidney. However with these new test results, I am concerned perhaps a kidney disorder is causing his short stature. Is this something we should be looking into? Can an endocrinologist deal with the kidney aspect or would we need to revisit his nephrologist?

Answer:

It does not sound like the resolved hydronephrosis is a likely cause for the slowed growth, but a pediatric endocrinologist can order the appropriate tests (e.g., blood tests, kidney ultrasound) to be absolutely certain.

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Response by:

Jack S Elder, MD, FACS, FAAP
Chief of Pediatric Urology
Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital
Adjunct Professor and Vice Chairman
Department of Urology
University Hospitals
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University