The kidney can be affected by cancers, stones, infections and congenital abnormalities such as obstruction of urine drainage to the bladder or abnormal reflux of urine from the bladder back to the kidney.
To see more information about urinary infections click here.
Cancer of the kidney is life-threatening and demands early diagnosis with radical treatment by surgical removal.
Other conditions are rarely a threat to life but can jeopardise the future function of the kidney and affect quality of life.
Treatment, which may be medical or surgical, is directed towards curing the underlying condition, preventing deterioration of kidney function and optimising recovery of any damage which has occured.
