Recurrent urinary tract infections in an adult with a duplicated renal collecting system

Because of advancements in fetal imaging, anatomic variants of the genitourinary tract are most often discovered in the antenatal period. As such, general internists are less likely to encounter adult patients with previously undiagnosed anatomic abnormalities of the renal collecting system, such as duplicated kidneys. These abnormalities put patients at risk for urinary obstruction and recurrent infections of the urinary tract. We report the case of a 40-year-old diabetic patient with a previously undiagnosed duplex kidney who had recurrent episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis triggered by urinary tract infections. She was ultimately found to have abscess formation in the duplicated renal moiety. We reviewed the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of duplex kidneys. We also reviewed the indications for renal imaging in adult patients with similar clinical presentations.