Diagnosis of Unilateral Thoracic Kidney by Color Doppler Ultrasound

The incidence of ectopic kidneys is one in 900 autopsies. Thoracic kidney is the rarest form of all renal ectopias and is mostly asymptomatic. Intrathoracic kidneys may be congenital or acquired. We present here the case of a 13-year-old boy who presented with the complaint of mild dyspnea even at rest, which had occurred periodically since birth. An X-ray showed obliterated costophrenic angles. He was referred to our department for ultrasound examination of the whole abdomen. Upon examination by ultrasound, both kidneys were not visualized in the lumbar region or in the lower abdomen. Therefore, color Doppler was used to locate the renal arteries. Both renal arteries were observed arising from their usual site and ascending upwards. The left kidney was visualized in the chest; it was malrotated and placed transversely above the diaphragm. The right kidney was visualized higher up in the chest but below the diaphragm. A computed tomography pyelogram and computed tomography angiogram also confirmed our findings. No intervention was required because the intrathoracic location of a kidney typically does not affect renal function and does not lead to other symptoms