Abstract:Objective To assess blood pressure and renal function changes between the children with congenital and acquired solitary kidneys. Methods According to the criteria of inclusion and exclusion, 55 cases of children with isolated kidneys were selected for this retrospective study. Among them there were 37 cases of congenital solitary kidney and 18 cases of acquired solitary kidney. Blood pressure and renal function were recorded which included glomerular filtration rate, 24-h urinary protein and dynamic blood pressure monitoring. We used the medical records of children who had been assisted in our Unit of Pediatric Nephrology for a period of 14 years (168 months). χ2 test or Wilcoxon test was used to compare the changes of blood pressure and renal function between the two groups at different periods. Results In both groups glomerular filtration rate and urinary protein demonstrated no significant differences at T0 and T14 (P > 0.05). However, after 14 years of follow-up, 76.4% of the patients (42/55) had increased levels of blood pressure. Specifically, the children with an acquired solitary functioning kidney were more likely to develop hypertension, whereas the children with a congenital solitary functioning kidney mainly developed prehypertension. The proportion of the patients with high blood pressure was higher in the children with an acquired solitary kidney than in the children with a congenital solitary kidney. Conclusions The renal function of children with solitary functioning kidneys remains stable during a follow-up of 14 years. However, these children should be carefully monitored for their tendency to develop high arterial blood pressure. The children with an acquired solitary kidney have a higher risk of blood pressure increase than the children with a congenital solitary kidney. Furthermore, the children with an acquired solitary kidney are more likely to develop hypertension, whereas the children with a congenital solitary kidney mainly develop pre-hypertension.