A pelvic kidney, also known as an ectopic kidney, is a normal

kidney In humans, the kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped blood-filtering organ (anatomy), organs that are a multilobar, multipapillary form of mammalian kidneys, usually without signs of external lobulation. They are located on the left and rig ...

located in the

pelvis The pelvis (: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an Anatomy, anatomical Trunk (anatomy), trunk, between the human abdomen, abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also c ...

, instead of the

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...

. This occurs when a kidney does not ascend from its original location in the pelvis to its final location during

prenatal development Prenatal development () involves the development of the embryo and of the fetus during a viviparous animal's gestation. Prenatal development starts with fertilization, in the germinal stage of embryonic development, and continues in fetal de ...

. They usually present no

symptoms Signs and symptoms are diagnostic indications of an illness, injury, or condition. Signs are objective and externally observable; symptoms are a person's reported subjective experiences. A sign for example may be a higher or lower temperature ...

, but can increase risk of certain illnesses and healthcare problems.

Signs and symptoms

Often, a person with a pelvic kidney will go through their whole life not even knowing they have a pelvic kidney. While symptoms are uncommon, some people with a pelvic kidney may experience abdominal or back pain, fever,

hematuria Hematuria or haematuria is defined as the presence of blood or red blood cells in the urine. "Gross hematuria" occurs when urine appears red, brown, or tea-colored due to the presence of blood. Hematuria may also be subtle and only detectable with ...

, high blood pressure, or a burning sensation while urinating.

Complications

Typically, the kidney functions normally despite being in the wrong location. However, it can develop complications. A pelvic kidney can make it more difficult to diagnose kidney infections and

kidney cancer Kidney cancer, also known as renal cancer, is a group of cancers that starts in the kidney. Symptoms may include blood in the urine, a lump in the abdomen, or back pain. Fever, weight loss, and tiredness may also occur. Complications can include ...

. The

renal artery The renal arteries are paired arteries that supply the kidneys with blood. Each is directed across the crus of the diaphragm, so as to form nearly a right angle. The renal arteries carry a large portion of total blood flow to the kidneys. Up to ...

and the

renal vein The renal veins in the renal circulation, are large-calibre veins that drain blood filtered by the kidneys into the inferior vena cava. There is one renal vein draining each kidney. Each renal vein is formed by the convergence of the interlobar v ...

may be stretched if they remain attached to the normal locations on the

abdominal aorta In human anatomy, the abdominal aorta is the largest artery in the abdominal cavity. As part of the aorta, it is a direct continuation of the descending aorta (of the thorax). Structure The abdominal aorta begins at the level of the diaphragm ...

and the

inferior vena cava The inferior vena cava is a large vein that carries the deoxygenated blood from the lower and middle body into the right atrium of the heart. It is formed by the joining of the right and the left common iliac veins, usually at the level of the ...

, which can lead to illness. A pelvic kidney may increase one's risk of developing

urinary tract infections A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that affects a part of the urinary tract. Lower urinary tract infections may involve the bladder (cystitis) or urethra ( urethritis) while upper urinary tract infections affect the kidney (pye ...

and

kidney stones Kidney stone disease (known as nephrolithiasis, renal calculus disease, or urolithiasis) is a crystallopathy and occurs when there are too many minerals in the urine and not enough liquid or hydration. This imbalance causes tiny pieces of cr ...

. The condition may also result in

hydronephrosis Hydronephrosis is the hydrostatic dilation of the renal pelvis and Renal calyx, calyces as a result of obstruction to urine flow downstream. Alternatively, hydroureter describes the dilation of the ureter, and hydronephroureter describes the dila ...

. Children with a pelvic kidney may need to wear certain protective equipment while playing sports to prevent injuries.

Causes

In the development of the

human embryo Human embryonic development or human embryogenesis is the development and formation of the human embryo. It is characterised by the processes of cell division and cellular differentiation of the embryo that occurs during the early stages of deve ...

, the metanephric kidneys fail to ascend and usually remain at the brim of the

. This clinical scenario may present no signs or symptoms and the kidneys may function normally. It is associated at times with Müllerian dysgenesis.

Diagnosis

A pelvic kidney is discovered on newborn kidney ultrasound screening. It may also be detected if complications arise later in life for this or a completely different reason, and during investigations.

Epidemiology

Between 1 in 2,200 and 1 in 3,000 people may have a pelvic kidney.

History

A pelvic kidney is also known as an ectopic kidney.

References

Congenital disorders of urinary system {{genitourinary-stub