Absence of Gerota's fascia in pelvic ectopic kidney: implications in laparoscopic radical nephrectomy

We report the anatomic alterations in pelvic ectopic kidney and its bearing on the performance of laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) and its likely effect on the ultimate oncologic outcome. A patient with Stage T2N0M0 renal tumor in a pelvic kidney underwent transperitoneal LRN. LRN was performed by mobilizing the specimen with an adequate amount of perirenal fat, because no distinct Gerota's fascia can be found in the pelvic kidney. At 1 year of follow-up, the patient was free of disease. LRN is a good option for managing localized renal tumor even in the pelvic kidney. The impact of the absence of Gerota's fascia in the pelvic kidney needs further evaluation.