Nephromegaly
Nephromegaly is the process whereby one or both kidneys become enlarged. It is defined as an enlargement of more than two standard deviations above the mean for age and body size of a particular individual. It can be caused by a variety of conditions including infiltrative disorders, metabolic conditions, cysts, and other diseases.
History
While the condition was not discovered by a single individual, English physician Richard Bright developed an interest in the kidney diseases, which would lead to his 1827 Reports of such medical cases.Definition
Nephromegaly is the process whereby one or both kidneys become enlarged. It is defined as an enlargement of more than two standard deviations above the mean for age and body size of a particular individual. In adults, as the normal kidney length is typically, lengths above suggest a general enlargement.Causes
In adults, it can be caused by infiltrative hematologic diseases such as leukemia or mantle-cell lymphoma, which can invade both kidneys, causing marked enlargement. It can be caused by cysts due to polycystic kidney disease, and diabetic nephropathy. Acquired cystic disease and renal inflammation can lead to enlargement. It can also be caused due to rare systemic conditions such as Kawasaki disease, and propionic acidemia.In children, it can be caused due to acute febrile urinary tract infections, which cause temporary kidney enlargement. The enlargement leads to later renal scarring. In infants, it can be a result of renal lymphangioma or an indication of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.