• Question: Was my duplex kidney just a defect/mutation and is there any chance of passing it on to children?

    Asked by Hollie Nelson to David, Gemma, Juhi, Matt, Stéphane, Yinka on 9 Mar 2018.
    • Photo: David Howard

      David Howard answered on 9 Mar 2018:

      I’m not a doctor of medicine and I don’t know your specific case. Duplex kidney is caused by both genetic and environmental factors, and I would speak to your GP to get more advice.

    • Photo: Gemma Chandratillake

      Gemma Chandratillake answered on 9 Mar 2018:

      Hi – I’m a genetic counsellor. David is right that duplex kidney can be caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Duplex kidney falls into the bigger category of Congenital Anomalies of the Kidney and Urinary Tract (CAKUT) and these conditions are not that unusual; 3-7 people out of every 1000 people have some difference in the development of their kidneys at birth.
      The chance of passing it on to children really depends on what caused it and the genetics of CAKUT are still not very well understood, though lots of research is going on at the moment. We do know that sometimes CAKUT can be part of a broader genetic condition so it is important that you’ve been checked out for other things that can be clues to broader conditions, and some of these are quite subtle – you could ask your GP to refer you to a Clinical Geneticist if you wanted a thorough checkup and/or to ask more questions about the cause of your duplex kidney, and about chance of passing it on.

    • Photo: Stéphane Berneau

      Stéphane Berneau answered on 11 Mar 2018:

      We are all agreeing about the fact that if you want more personal advice. It is a better solution to talk to your parents about contacting your GP who could answer you with more experience.

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