Aberrant renal papilla.

Abstract

A 50-year-old obese black female with lower urinary tract symptoms had a smooth filling defect in the left renal pelvis on intravenous urography (Fig. 1). A left retrograde pyelogram again showed a smooth filling defect in the left pelvis measuring approximately 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter. Because tumour could not be ruled out, the left kidney and renal pelvis were explored. Inside the renal pelvis a dark bluish mass was seen extruding from one of the calyces. This mass was biopsied, and frozen section diagnosis was indeterminate. Therefore the kidney was entirely mobilized, and the renal pedicle clamped with a rubber-shod clamp. A wedge of renal parenchyma overlying the calyceal defect was excised. This allowed a direct view into the renal pelvis, and firm tissue was seen extending from the infundibula. This was dissected down and excised completely. It did not appear neoplastic. Final pathological examination showed benign hypertrophied papilla with no evidence of tumour (Fig. 2).