Medullary sponge kidney is a congenital disorder

Congenital disorder

A congenital disorder, or congenital disease, is a condition existing at birth and often before birth, or that develops during the first month of life , regardless of causation...

 of the kidneys characterized by cystic dilatation of the collecting tubules in one or both kidney

Kidney

The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...

s. In people with nephrolithiasis, the frequency of medullary sponge kidney has been reported by various authors to be 1221%. The disease is bilateral in 70% of cases. Individuals with medullary sponge kidney are at increased risk for kidney stone

Kidney stone

A kidney stone, also known as a renal calculus is a solid concretion or crystal aggregation formed in the kidneys from dietary minerals in the urine...

s and urinary tract infection

Urinary tract infection

A urinary tract infection is a bacterial infection that affects any part of the urinary tract. Symptoms include frequent feeling and/or need to urinate, pain during urination, and cloudy urine. The main causal agent is Escherichia coli...

. Medullary sponge kidney is often discovered as an incidental finding

Incidentaloma

In medicine, an incidentaloma is a tumor found by coincidence without clinical symptoms or suspicion. It is a common problem: up to 7% of all patients over 60 may harbor a benign growth, often of the adrenal gland, which is detected when diagnostic imaging is used for the analysis of unrelated...

 on intravenous pyelogram

Intravenous pyelogram

An intravenous pyelogram is a radiological procedure used to visualize abnormalities of the urinary system, including the kidneys, ureters, and bladder.-Procedure:...

(IVP).