Bilateral Ectopic Kidneys Presenting as Lower Abdominal Pain

Background: Bilateral Ectopic Kidney is uncommon and usually diagnosed during a routine medical checkup. It could be misdiagnosed as an abdominopelvic mass. In-depth knowledge of its presentation will aid in its management. A poor anatomical relation of the kidneys with other abdominopelvic organs could lead to renal complications and surgical errors. This is of gynaecological importance and worthy of discussion for a lady of her reproductive age. Case presentation: A 20-year-old nulliparous lady of African descent presented with a long-standing history of dull lower abdominal pain. The pain has been intermittent and occasionally associated with a sensation of movement in the lower abdomen. She has a regular and normal menstrual cycle and has no lower urinary tract symptoms. Physical examination was unremarkable with intact secondary sexual characteristics. The abdomen was soft, non-tender and without any organomegaly. Abdominal ultrasonography, renal pyelogram and urinalysis were carried out after her consent was sought in accordance with the institution’s protocol. Urine analysis was normal and culture was negative. However further imaging revealed a bilateral pelvic ectopic kidney. Conclusion: Most of the cases reported are usually unilateral ectopic kidneys. It is, therefore, our belief that this information will be useful to medical practitioners such as surgeons, urologists, radiologists and gynaecologists. Such a diagnosis will enable clinicians to follow up with the client and preserve the renal function whiles preventing iatrogenic injuries during surgical procedures.

Management of staghorn stones in special situations

Staghorn stones have always been a challenge for urologists,especially in some special situations,such as horseshoe kidney,ectopic kidney,paediatric kidney,and solitary kidney.The treatment of these staghorn stones must be aggressive because they can lead to renal function loss and serious complications.The gold-standard management for staghorn stones is surgical treatment with the aim of clearing the stones and preserving renal function.Treatment methods for staghorn stones have developed rapidly,such as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy,retrograde intrarenal surgery,percutaneous nephrolithotomy and laparoscopy and open surgery.Whether the standard procedures for staghorn stones can also apply to these stones in special situations is still not agreed upon.The decision should be made individually according to the circumstances of the patient.In this review,we evaluates the previous studies and comments on the management of staghorn stones under special situations in the hope of guiding the optimal choice for urologists.