Knowra Renal agenesis Renal agenesis Renal agenesis is a congenital condition in which one or both kidneys fail to develop. It may be unilateral or bilateral, with markedly different consequences.
Ureteric bud : An embryonic outgrowth from the mesonephric duct that forms the ureter, renal pelvis, calyces, and collecting ducts. Failure of this structure to form or interact with kidney tissue can prevent a kidney from developing.
Unilateral renal agenesis : Congenital absence of one kidney, with the other kidney often enlarging to compensate. This common form can remain unnoticed when the remaining kidney functions well.
Prenatal ultrasonography : Imaging that uses ultrasound to examine fetal anatomy during pregnancy. It can identify absent kidneys and reduced amniotic fluid before birth.
Müllerian duct anomalies : Congenital abnormalities of the uterus, cervix, or upper vagina arising from disrupted Müllerian duct development. These reproductive tract anomalies can accompany unilateral renal agenesis because the structures develop near one another.
Metanephric mesenchyme : Embryonic tissue that responds to the ureteric bud and forms the kidney’s nephrons. Its developmental interaction with the ureteric bud is required for kidney formation.
Bilateral renal agenesis : Congenital absence of both kidneys, causing severe fetal complications and usually death shortly after birth without intervention. The bilateral form illustrates the condition’s most severe outcome and its dependence on fetal kidney function.
Fetal magnetic resonance imaging : Magnetic resonance imaging used to assess fetal anatomy when ultrasound findings need clarification. It can help evaluate suspected renal agenesis when fetal ultrasound is inconclusive.
VACTERL association : A nonrandom association of vertebral, anal, cardiac, tracheoesophageal, renal, and limb abnormalities. Renal anomalies, including agenesis, can occur among the findings in this association.
Reciprocal induction : A developmental process in which two tissues signal to one another and jointly shape their differentiation. Kidney development depends on reciprocal signaling between the ureteric bud and metanephric mesenchyme.
Potter sequence : A set of fetal deformation features associated with prolonged low amniotic fluid, including characteristic facial and limb findings. Bilateral renal agenesis can cause severe oligohydramnios and trigger this developmental sequence.
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