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03:19
Point-of-Care Kidney and Genitourinary Ultrasound in Adults: Image Acquisition
Published on: June 21, 2024
Pelvic cyst: renal or ovarian?
Dirk Michael Forner1, Bjoern Lampe
1Kaiserswerther Diakonie, Florence Nightingale Hospital, Duesseldorf, Germany. dr.forner@gmx.de
Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology
|November 10, 2009
Summary
Ovarian cysts are common, but a cystic kidney with nephroptosis can mimic this. Patient positioning during imaging is crucial for accurate diagnosis of pelvic masses.
Area of Science:
- Gynecology
- Nephrology
- Radiology
Background:
- Ovarian cysts are a frequent gynecologic finding.
- Renal cysts affect 15% of women over 70.
- Nephroptosis (kidney prolapse) occurs in 20% of people, predominantly women.
Observation:
- A case study involving a patient with both a cystic kidney and nephroptosis.
- Vaginal ultrasound in an upright position revealed the kidney descending into the pelvis.
- This descent mimicked an ovarian mass on initial examination.
Findings:
- The kidney's mobility due to nephroptosis caused it to appear as a pelvic mass during upright ultrasound.
- During laparoscopy with the patient in a head-down position, the kidney was located near the diaphragm and not visible in the pelvis.
Implications:
- Highlights the importance of patient positioning in gynecologic and abdominal imaging.
- Emphasizes the need to consider renal anomalies like nephroptosis when evaluating pelvic masses.
- Suggests a comprehensive diagnostic approach to differentiate between ovarian and renal pathology.
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