Renal enlargement in the fetus and newborn with congenital diaphragmatic hernia: A refuted hypothesis

Background/Purpose: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is one of the mos t frequent causes of neonatal death because of lung hypoplasia (LH). The li terature mentions a relationship between renal and pulmonary development, w ith higher kidney weight in presence of LH. The aims of this study were to evaluate the relationship between lung and kidney weight and to test the hy pothesis of renal enlargement in fetuses and newborns with CDH. Methods: Body weight (BW), combined kidney weight (KW), and lung weight (LW ) of 52 CDH cases were established; 52 morphologically normal fetuses or ne wborns, matched by BW served as a control population. Comparisons were done by covariance analysis, and a P value of less than .05 was considered as s ignificant. Results: Excluding renal abnormalities, adjusted mean kidney weights were 2 2.0 g (+/- 1.8 SE) in CDH cases and 20.5 g (+/- 1.5 SE) in controls (F = 1. 05; P = .308). KW to BW ratio was lower in CDH cases than in controls (P = .023). LW was significantly lower in CDH cases than in controls. Conclusions: No significant difference between KW of CDH cases and controls could be observed, The current study provides enough evidence to reject th e hypothesis of renal enlargement in cases of LH and CDH. Copyright (C) 200 0 by W.B. Saunders Company.