Rapid loss of renal function due to obstruction: minimal residual activity

A man with metastatic carcinoma of the colon had a bone scan which revealed urinary retention in the left kidney. Ten months later, a Tc-99m-DTPA renai glomerular study showed the left kidney to have only 8% of total renal function. Fifteen months after that, (he same kidney demonstrated 9% of total function, while the right kidney had evolving obstruction due to his neoplasm. The case shows that loss of a significant amount of renal activity can occur over relatively short intervals, but that a small degree of functional activity can persist.