Abstract
Pancake kidney is a very rare congenital anomaly involving complete fusion of medial renal parenchyma. The interface is devoid of any intervening septum. As described, the kidneys form a single lobulated mass in pelvic location. However, dual collecting systems are retained, and the shortened, anteriorly seated ureters enter the bladder normally. This condition is usually discovered incidentally but may confer a heightened susceptibility to recurrent urinary tract infections or stone formation, given the likelihood of anomalous collecting system rotation and the potential for ureteral stasis or obstruction. Excretory urography, the customary method of detection, has been replaced by ultrasonography, CT, MRI, and radionucleotide scanning. Herein, we present a male patient with a pelvic pancake kidney, never symptomatic. A conservative approach of regular follow up visits and laboratory testing was elected, thus avoiding any unnecessary investigations or extensive surgery.
Highlights
A 47-year-old male presented to our department for CT urography
This patient denied any history of kidney disease, whether in childhood or as an adult
No further diagnostic studies were pursued until September 2015, at which time his primary care physician was consulted to certify competitive sports eligibility
Summary
Summary Pancake kidney is a very rare congenital anomaly involving complete fusion of medial renal parenchyma. The interface is devoid of any intervening septum. The kidneys form a single lobulated mass in pelvic location. Dual collecting systems are retained, and the shortened, anteriorly seated ureters enter the bladder normally. This condition is usually discovered incidentally but may confer a heightened susceptibility to recurrent urinary tract infections or stone formation, given the likelihood of anomalous collecting system rotation and the potential for ureteral stasis or obstruction. The customary method of detection, has been replaced by ultrasonography, CT, MRI, and radionucleotide scanning. We present a male patient with a pelvic pancake kidney, never symptomatic. A conservative approach of regular follow up visits and laboratory testing was elected, avoiding any unnecessary investigations or extensive surgery
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