What does a pain in lower-right flank indicate for a diabetic patient?
Patient: have t2 diabetes w/ elevated blood sugar.  Over past 4-5 weeks have developed a dull pain in my lower-right back. (Flank).  Is this the start of my kidneys startingto fail, or is it a sign of something else?  The last blood test I had about a month ago-everything came back within range.  Please advise, K Doctor: Hi,Flank pain is a relatively common condition that can have a lot of possible etiologies and a number are commonly seen in urology. Anyway I want to say that this is not a sign of diabetic kidney disease because or diabetic nephropathy do not cause pain. So, don't worry. In diabetic nephropathy the filters of the kidneys, the glomeruli, become damaged. Because of this the kidneys 'leak' abnormal amounts of protein from the blood into the urine. This is the main sign that the kidney is starting to fail. Possible causes of your dull right flank pain can be urinary tract infections like Cistitis or pielonefritis or renal calculi.I suggest to consult an urologist to investigate about your flank pain (urine test, blood test, ultrasound etc) and if you find the cause ,you can have the right treatment.Hope I have clarified your doubts. If you have further queries, feel free and ask. Regards,Dr. Elona Xhardo