Between work, family, and our social calendars, our kidneys are not always at the forefront of our minds, but these small, bean-shaped organs play a vital role in keeping our bodies healthy and balanced.Â
From filtering toxins and excess fluids to regulating blood pressure, our kidneys are constantly at work behind the scenes. But what happens to us when they’re not functioning correctly?Â
Kidney diseases, infections, and even cancer can develop without warning, often exhibiting no symptoms until the damage is done. That’s why kidney health starts with understanding how they work and ends with taking proactive steps toward keeping them functioning well.Â
Keep reading as we explore the kidneys’ essential functions, common abnormalities, and how a full-body MRI scan can offer valuable insights into their condition.Â
What are the Kidneys, and How Do They Work?
Just below your rib cage and behind your belly rests two fist-sized organs – your kidneys. Resting on either side of your spine, your kidneys filter waste and excess water out of your blood, keeping your body’s fluids balanced behind the scenes.Â
Your kidneys are responsible for keeping your body’s fluids in homeostasis or balance. When your body’s fluids and minerals get off balance, other organs and systems throughout the body may begin to work improperly or fail altogether.
Understanding Kidney Damage: From Common Conditions to CancerÂ
When your kidneys begin to fail due to genetic conditions or damage, a person’s overall health and well-being are at risk. Some of the most common conditions that can cause harm to your kidneys include the following:Â
Chronic Kidney DiseaseÂ
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is one of the most common kidney diseases. Diabetes and high blood pressure damage the small blood vessels in the kidneys until they can no longer filter properly. Crucially, CKD is a diagnosis about function, not structure. It is identified with two lab tests: a blood test giving your eGFR, and a urine test giving the albumin-to-creatinine ratio. Early kidney disease usually causes no symptoms, and kidneys with meaningfully reduced function can look completely normal on a scan. A clear MRI is not a clear kidney function result. If you have diabetes, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recommends both tests every year; if you have high blood pressure, heart disease or a family history of kidney failure, ask your doctor how often you should be tested.Â
Kidney StonesÂ
Kidney stones occur when minerals and other substances in the blood crystallize and form into solid masses. While they are typically expelled from the body during urination, they can be incredibly painful to pass. Depending on the size of the stones, they may be unable to move out of the body during urination and may require surgery.Â
A screening MRI is not the right test for kidney stones, and we would not want you to rely on one. Stones are dense mineral and MRI works by imaging water, so stones produce almost no signal and are easily missed or confused with other structures. In one study where experienced radiologists reviewed MRI scans already knowing where each stone sat from a concurrent CT, they could confidently identify only about one in five. Non-contrast CT is the standard test for suspected stones. If you are a repeat stone former, the tests that guide prevention are a 24-hour urine collection and blood work, not imaging.Â
Polycystic Kidney DiseaseÂ
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a genetic condition in which clusters of cysts develop and grow in the kidneys. While not cancerous, the cysts can cause the kidneys to enlarge and eventually stop working altogether.Â
Common symptoms include high blood pressure, blood in the urine, kidney stones, increased size of the belly from enlarged kidneys, and urinary tract infections.Â
Horseshoe KidneyÂ
Horseshoe kidney is a congenital defect that affects one in 500 people. During fetal development, the kidneys typically form in the lower belly and move up and outward in the back on either side of the spine.Â
With a horseshoe kidney, instead of settling on either side of the spine, the kidneys attach at the lower end, sitting lower in the pelvis and closer to the front of the body rather than the back.Â
Most people experience no symptoms of a horseshoe kidney, often going throughout their lives without ever knowing. For some, however, symptoms may include nausea and vomiting, frequent UTIs, and kidney stones.Â
Taking a Preventative Approach to Your Kidney HealthÂ
Your kidneys go unnoticed as you move throughout your day, however, it’s essential to ensure they are functioning properly before it’s too late.Â
A kidney MRI scan is a safe, non-invasive procedure that uses radio waves and strong magnets to produce images of the kidneys. During a whole-body MRI scan, our imaging tests will provide a comprehensive overview of the body’s internal structure, screening 13 organ systems and detecting nearly 500 conditions.Â
From thyroid cysts to gallstones, our MRI screens can detect the following abnormalities in the kidneys:Â
- Horseshoe kidney
- Kidney cancer
- Enlarged kidneyÂ
- Polycystic kidneyÂ
- Abnormalities in the adrenal glandsÂ
Two honest caveats. Our scan is performed without intravenous contrast. For most findings that is not a drawback, and for people with reduced kidney function it is an advantage. But if a cyst looks complex rather than simple, telling a harmless one from a concerning one depends on how it takes up contrast, so a complex cyst found here means a referral for a dedicated contrast-enhanced kidney MRI or CT to settle the question.
And finding a small kidney mass is not an unambiguous win. Kidney cancer diagnoses have risen substantially over recent decades, largely because more people are scanned, but deaths have not fallen by nearly as much. Up to a fifth of masses under 4 cm turn out to be benign, and many of the rest grow so slowly that specialists monitor rather than operate. Finding one can mean repeat scans, a period of worry, and occasionally a procedure on something that was never going to cause harm. That is not a reason to avoid knowing. It is a reason to understand what a finding would mean before you decide to be scanned.
After a full body scan near you, one of our fellowship-trained, board-certified radiologists will review the findings and deliver a comprehensive report for your review, detailing abnormal kidney MRI findings, among other areas of the body.Â
Say Hello Again to Your Health with MRI WellnessÂ
Scheduling your first full-body MRI appointment in Charleston, SC, can be daunting, especially when your health is in question.Â
Whether you are experiencing concerns regarding your kidneys or have a genetic predisposition to certain kidney conditions, our team is here to help.Â
At MRI Wellness, we offer an easy and accurate look at what’s going on inside our bodies to help you take a proactive approach to your health and wellness.Â
Let’s work together for the future of your health. Schedule a full-body MRI near you today at MRI Wellness!
Frequently asked questions
Can an MRI check my kidney health?
Partly. An MRI shows kidney structure: size, shape and position, cysts, solid masses, whether urine is backing up, and lesions on the adjacent adrenal glands. What it cannot show is how well your kidneys are filtering. That is kidney function, and it is measured in a lab. Both matter, and they answer different questions.
How is chronic kidney disease actually diagnosed?
With two tests, neither of them a scan. A blood test measures creatinine and produces your eGFR, an estimate of how much blood your kidneys filter each minute. A urine test measures the albumin-to-creatinine ratio, whether protein is leaking into your urine, often the earliest sign something is wrong. Early kidney disease usually causes no symptoms, and kidneys with meaningfully reduced function can look completely normal on imaging.
Can an MRI detect kidney stones?
Not reliably. Stones are dense mineral with very little water, and MRI images water, so stones produce almost no signal and appear only as non-specific gaps. In a study where radiologists reviewed MRI already knowing each stone location from a CT, they confidently identified only about one in five, and a quarter of the stones initially called on MRI turned out to be artifacts. Non-contrast CT is the standard test for suspected stones.
What kidney problems can a whole-body MRI find?
Renal masses and cysts, polycystic kidney disease, anatomical variations such as a horseshoe or ectopic kidney, hydronephrosis where urine is backing up, adrenal lesions, and kidney size and symmetry. Because our scan uses no contrast, a complex cyst cannot be fully classified on that scan and would prompt a referral for a dedicated contrast-enhanced study.
Is finding a small kidney mass always a good thing?
Not straightforwardly. Kidney cancer diagnoses have risen substantially as more people are scanned, but deaths have not fallen proportionally. Up to a fifth of masses under 4 cm are benign, and many others grow slowly enough that specialists monitor rather than operate. A finding can mean repeat scans, worry, and occasionally a procedure on something harmless. It is worth understanding that before deciding to be scanned.
