Pediatric renal trauma: special considerations

Abstract

Blunt renal injuries are the cause of greater than 90% of renal injuries in children, and the kidney is the most common organ injured in blunt abdominal trauma. A vast majority of these injuries are the result of motor vehicle accidents. Children with congential malformations of the kidney, such a ureteropelvic junction obstruction, have been thought to be at an increased risk for a renal injuries when they sustain blunt abdominal trauma. This premise and the controversy surrounding the evaluation and treatment of renal injuries in children who sustain blunt renal trauma is discussed.