What is an ectopic kidney?
An ectopic kidney is a kidney located below, above, or on the opposite side of the kidney’s normal position in the urinary tract. The two kidneys are usually located near the middle of your back, just below your rib cage, on either side of your spine.
An ectopic kidney usually doesn’t cause any symptoms or health problems, and many people never find out that they have the condition. If an ectopic kidney is discovered, it is usually found during a fetal ultrasound—an imaging test that uses sound waves to create a picture of how a baby is developing in the womb—or during medical tests done to check for a urinary tract infection or to find the cause of abdominal pain. Rarely does a person have two ectopic kidneys.
In the womb, a fetus’s kidneys first develop as small buds in the lower abdomen inside the pelvis. During the first 8 weeks of growth, the fetus’s kidneys slowly move from the pelvis to their normal position in the back near the rib cage. When an ectopic kidney occurs during growth, the kidney
Does ectopic kidney have another name?
When the kidney stays in the pelvis, it is called a pelvic kidney. If the kidney crosses to the other side of the body, it is called crossed renal ectopia.
What other health problems can an ectopic kidney cause?
An ectopic kidney usually doesn’t cause health problems, or complications, and may work normally. Most people are born with two kidneys, so if your ectopic kidney doesn’t work at all, your other kidney may be able to do the work both kidneys would have done. In rare cases, a nonfunctioning ectopic kidney must be removed. As long as the other kidney is working well, there should be no problems living with one kidney, also called a solitary kidney.
People who have an ectopic kidney are more likely to have vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). VUR is a condition in which urine flows backward from the bladder to one or both ureters, and sometimes to the kidneys. In some people, an ectopic kidney can block urine from correctly draining from the body or may be associated with VUR.
How do health care professionals diagnose an ectopic kidney?
Many people who have an ectopic kidney don’t discover it unless they have tests done for other reasons or the ectopic kidney was found during a prenatal ultrasound.
Health care professionals may use urinary tract imaging tests and lab tests to find out if you have an ectopic kidney and to rule out other health problems. If you have an ectopic kidney and it’s not causing symptoms or other health problems, you usually don’t need further testing or treatment.
Imaging tests
A specially trained technician performs imaging tests at an outpatient center or hospital, and a radiologist reviews the images.
Health care professionals use the following imaging tests to help diagnose and manage an ectopic kidney.
How do health care professionals treat an ectopic kidney?
Your health care professional may not need to treat your ectopic kidney if it isn’t causing symptoms or damage to your body or kidney. If tests show that you have a blockage or other potential complication in the urinary tract, your health care professional may suggest further follow-up or surgery to correct the abnormality.
Can I prevent an ectopic kidney?
No. Like many other birth defects, health care professionals don’t know what causes or how to prevent an ectopic kidney.
Clinical Trials for Ectopic Kidney
The NIDDK conducts and supports clinical trials in many diseases and conditions, including kidney diseases. The trials look to find new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease and improve quality of life.
What are clinical trials, and are they right for you?
Clinical trials are part of clinical research and at the heart of all medical advances. Clinical trials look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease. Researchers also use clinical trials to look at other aspects of care, such as improving the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses.