Clinical Presentations and Usefulness of 99mTechnetium-Ethylene-Dicysteine (99mTc-EC) Renal Scintigraphy in Estimation of Thoracic Kidney Function in Children

Abstract

: Thoracic kidney is a rare congenital abnormality with the lowest frequency of all renal ectopias. Most cases are discovered incidentally via routine imaging and have a benign clinical course. Here, we report three pediatric cases of thoracic kidney among 156 children with renal ectopy (1.9%). Thoracic kidney was asymptomatic in two children; in one child, it was associated with a recurrent diaphragmatic hernia. All diagnoses were made by chest ultrasonography (USG) and/or radiography in children and confirmed by computed tomography (CT) scan. Moreover, 99mtechnetium-ethylene-dicysteine (99mTc-EC) renal scintigraphy was carried out to visualize and assess the function of ectopic kidneys. All thoracic kidneys were left-sided, and their functions were comparable to their normally located counterparts. During an observation period of 5 - 10 years, two children with thoracic kidneys presented with unstable proteinuria/microalbuminuria and hypertension, respectively. The 99mTc-EC renal scintigraphy is an uncomplicated and safe method for imaging the thoracic kidneys and can be used for detecting the thoracic kidney function in children. Thoracic ectopic kidneys are associated with complications, such as hypertension and proteinuria. Children with thoracic kidneys need long-term follow-ups.