Pancake kidney
Updates to Article Attributes
Pancake kidney (also known as discoid kidney, disc kidney, lump kidney, fused pelvic kidney or cake kidney) is a rare renal fusion anomaly of the kidneys of the crossed fused variety.
Clinical presentation
Pancake kidney may be an incidental finding. However, they can present clinically because of conditions that affect normal kidneys, such as:
- ureteropelvic junction obstruction
- recurrent infection
- recurrent calculus
- increased incidence of malignancies
Gross anatomy
The upper and lower poles of the kidneys are fused hence giving it an appearance of pancake 5 and usually give rise to two separate ureters which enter the bladder in normal relationship. An even more rare variant is when the cake kidney is drained by a single ureter (has been previously reported in only four patients) 5.
Pancake kidneys usually are situated anterior to the aortic bifurcation.
Radiographic features
Pancake kidney can be demonstrated on ultrasound, CT, IVU, MRI, and scintigraphy.
Treatment and prognosis
Pancake kidney malformation is not necessarily associated with renal dysfunction but does require exclusion of concomitant anomalies, long-term follow-up for early detection of possible future complications such as:
- ureteropelvic junction obstruction
- recurrent infection
- recurrent calculus
- increased incidence of malignancies
- more prone to trauma
Differential diagnosis
- horseshoe kidney: usually only the lower poles are fused
- cross fused renal ectopia: kidneys lie only on one side of the spine
-<li><a href="/articles/pelvi-ureteric-junction-obstruction-1">ureteropelvic junction obstruction</a></li>- +<li><a href="/articles/pelviureteric-junction-obstruction-1">ureteropelvic junction obstruction</a></li>
-<li><a href="/articles/pelvi-ureteric-junction-obstruction-1">ureteropelvic junction obstruction</a></li>- +<li><a href="/articles/pelviureteric-junction-obstruction-1">ureteropelvic junction obstruction</a></li>
Image 4 CT (renal parenchymal phase) ( create )
Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.