Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract in Nigeria: a thirteen-year single centre review

BACKGROUND: Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) encompass a wide spectrum of structural anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract. Evidence from registries in high-income countries suggests that it is a major cause of morbidity in children, with up to 50%-60% of chronic kidney disease (CKD) resulting from CAKUT. The picture is not so clear in medium and low-income countries, mainly due to lack or nonexistence of reliable registries, constraints of skilled personnel, diagnostic capacities, accurate data gathering and poor health-seeking behaviour. METHODS: Information on children managed from birth to 18 years with CAKUT, from January 2010 to end of December 2022 in the renal unit of the paediatric department, Jos University Teaching Hospital was extracted for review from the general paediatric renal database. RESULTS: One hundred and one children had CAKUT, representing (14.87%) of all children seen in the renal unit during the period. The prevalence of CAKUT among the general paediatric population during the same period was 0.53%. The mean age at diagnosis was 6.35 ± 5.53 years (76 months). There was male preponderance, n = 72(71.29%). The most common kidney anomaly was cystic kidney, n = 17(16.83%), while the most common urologic anomaly was pelvi ureteric junction obstruction (PUJo) n = 26 (25.74%). Recurrent fever and abdominal pain were the commonest symptoms in older children. The antenatal detection rate was very low, only nine (8.9%). CONCLUSION: Pelvi ureteric junction obstruction was the commonest single anomaly. Antenatal ultrasound detection rate was very low and recurrent fever and abdominal pain were the most frequent symptoms in older children.