What is a likely cause for kidney hypertrophy?

Kidney hypertrophy often occurs as a compensatory response to various stimuli. In the case of contralateral kidney failure, the remaining functional kidney undergoes hypertrophy to compensate for the loss of function in the affected kidney. This adaptive mechanism is the body's response to maintain overall renal function and balance the workload. When one kidney fails or is significantly impaired, the other kidney often increases in size and function to manage the excretion of waste products and regulate fluid and electrolyte balance.

In contrast, while increased blood flow can affect kidney size, it typically leads to changes that do not directly result in hypertrophy in the context of failure in one kidney. Renal cell carcinoma may cause changes in the kidney, but it usually leads to a malignant process, not straightforward hypertrophy as a primary response. Diabetes mellitus can lead to kidney damage over time but does not directly cause hypertrophy in the initial stages; rather, it may eventually contribute to kidney scarring and loss of function. Therefore, the scenario of contralateral kidney failure best explains the hypertrophic adaptation seen in the functional kidney.