I have been searching the web for hours with NO LUCK! I am hoping to find some answers here.
I have had problems for years now with UTI's that turn into kidney infections very fast. They have done IVP scans and US scans that didn't show anything significant that I was told of. Until this last week. I was suffering from yet another kidney infection/hematuria etc and was sent for an abdominal ultrasound. During the ultrasound the tech was trying to observe the flow in my bladder and said it wasnt very active, probably having to do with the fact they made me fast etc...I asked her if the use of Pyridium (phenazopyrodine) would slow it down at all, that I was currently being treated for a UTI. She said "oh, i was wondering about that, (if you suffered from UTI's) because your kidneys are smaller than I would expect for your body size. I would think they would measure about 13cm, and they aren't. I snuck a peek today and the size was 9cm. Doctor wasn't terribly concerned, but it makes me worry. I am in the process of ordering results from previous scans over the past several years to see if they have decreased in size since then, or if I have always had "small" kidneys.
What could this mean? Is this terribly small? Or am I just freakng myself out?
Thanks in advance!
~Kristin

Hi Kristen,

I was wondering if you had received any information about shrinking kidneys? I was told that my right kidney was shrinking about a year ago and about two months ago I was told that my left kidney was shrinking. I have spent hours on line to try to find information about this. I haven't found out anything. My doctor doesn't seem open to discussion about this. I do have renal tubular acidosis, kidney stones, anemia, and take EPO shots. I am not afraid of the truth, I just would like to know what to expect.

Thank you,
FlyingCloud