Prevalence of Renal Ectopia by Diagnostic Imaging

Background: Renal Ectopia is a congenital anomaly with variable clinical presentation. This study was conducted to know prevalence of renal ectopia in patients with abdominal complaints. Material & Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at Radiology Department, District Head Quarter Teaching Hospital, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, from 1st January 2005 to 31st December 2007. Ultrasonography was performed for all referred patients during 1st January 2005 to 31st December 2007, complaining of abdominal pain, lump in the abdomen, dysurea or haematuria. All patients had plain radiography and ultrasonography. Contrast urography was performed in those patients with obscured /absent or small kidney with poor cortico-medullary differentiation and ectopic or rotated kidneys. Results: Out of 12,000 patients investigated during the study period, there were 25 (0.2%) cases of renal ectopia. Seven were having right ectopic pelvic, 5 left ectopic pelvic, 5 crossed ectopic fused, 2 crossed ectopic un-fused, 4 horseshoe shaped and 2 bilateral ectopic pelvic kidneys. Conclusion: Renal ectopia is a rare congenital anomaly, found in 0.2% of patients presenting with abdominal complaints. Ultrasonography is a sensitive investigation for its detection.