Youth with single kidneys-what is the evidence of risk?

ABSTRACT

Children and youth with a congenital or acquired single functioning kidney are at risk for development of kidney injury and chronic kidney disease. How best to use surrogate measures associated with risk factors poses many problems. The risk of progressive kidney disease for those with a single functioning kidney varies, and how to assess it remains imperfect. Developing better measures to determine the risk of chronic kidney disease-renal functional reserve and imaging that includes nephron number-may be within reach and would likely positively affect the outcome.