Lumbotomy for multicystic dysplastic kidney: A trap for the unwary

This is a report of a case of multicystic dysplastic half of a horseshoe kidney (HSK) at surgery for multicystic kidney. During the surgery, through a lumbotomy approach, there was inadvertent injury to a lower polar artery and the pelvis of the normal contralateral half of the HSK, leading to a stormy postoperative course. This report emphasizes the need for accurate preoperative diagnosis before embarking on a lumbotomy, and also reviews the entity of multicystic dysplasia in one half of a HSK.