Renal growth in patients nephrectomized for Wilms tumour as compared to renal agenesis

Compensatory growth in 27 undiseased congenital solitary kidneys and in 31 solitary kidneys in patients with Wilms tumour was monitored in long-term follow-up studies by ultrasound volume biometry. In congenital solitary kidneys hypertrophy was not detectable at the time of birth. Parenchymal mass increase achieved 188% of the volume of a healthy kidney within at least 4 years of life and afterwards paralleled the physiological growth documented in healthy kidney pairs. Disease-free kidneys in Wilms tumour patients all developed a similar 180% volume augmentation within 2-4 years after nephrectomy, irrespective of the chosen mode of radiation and single or triple chemotherapy. The age of the patient at onset of surgical and concomitant conservative therapy determined slight differences in kinetics but not in degree of compensatory growth.