A study of the clinical profile and incidence of pathologies in Kidney- A retrospective study

Abstract

Background: The indications for nephrectomy are varied. In our country, chronic pyelonephritis occurs as a consequence of urinary tract infection, and is a common indication for nephrectomy. The other indications for nephrectomy include hydronephrosis due to obstruction by calculi, and neoplastic conditions. We analyzed the indications for nephrectomy in our institute.
Material and methods- 48 nephrectomies were done in our tertiary care hospital over a four year period. The records and reports of the patients were studied. The clinical features, gross appearance of the kidney and histopathological diagnosis were analysed and expressed as percentage.
Results- 39 nephrectomies [81%] were performed for benign renal diseases. These included chronic pyelonephritis, hydronephrosis, hydatid cyst, angiomyolipoma and dysplastic kidney. 9 nephrectomies [19%] were performed for malignancies of the kidney including renal cell carcinoma, Wilms tumour and squamous cell carcinoma. The left kidney [58%] was more involved than the right. Males undergoing nephrectomy [52%] were slightly more than females.
Conclusion: The indications for Nephrectomy were predominantly for benign conditions, mainly chronic pyelonephritis and its complications, with nephrolithiasis being present in a majority of cases. These conditions can probably be reduced by educating the masses on personal hygiene and the importance of drinking plenty of water.