Kidney disease has been reported in adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is regarded an extraintestinal manifestation or more rarely a side effect of the medical treatment.
In this cross-sectional study we describe the extent of kidney pathology in a cohort of 56 children with IBD. Blood and urine samples were analyzed for markers of kidney disease and ultrasonography was performed to evaluate pole-to-pole kidney length.
We found that 25% of the patients had either previously reported kidney disease or ultrasonographic signs of chronic kidney disease. The median kidney size compared with normal children was significantly reduced. In a multivariate linear mixed model, small kidneys significantly correlated with the use of infliximab, whereas the use of enteral nutritional therapy was associated with larger kidneys.
Children with IBD are at risk of chronic kidney disease, and the risk seems to be increased with the severity of the disease.