Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Extrarenal pelvis mimicking hydronephrosis: a case for caution.

Abhilash Koratala1, Deepti Bhattacharya1

  • 1Division of Nephrology, Hypertension and Renal Transplantation University of Florida Gainesville Florida.

Clinical Case Reports
|October 14, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Extrarenal pelvis is an anatomical variant that can mimic hydronephrosis on ultrasound. It is distinguished by the absence of calyceal dilation or kidney enlargement.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Fluid Tolerance in Acute Kidney Injury: Is Point-of-Care Ultrasound the Future of Hemodynamic Assessment?

Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN·2026
Same author

The Competency Gap in Point-of-Care Ultrasound: Premature Expertise Undermines the Promise of Ultrasound in Nephrology.

Kidney360·2026
Same author

Refining the Map of Diuretic Resistance in Acute Heart Failure.

Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN·2026
Same author

Point-of-care ultrasound: Uniting cardiology and nephrology at the bedside.

World journal of cardiology·2026
Same author

Point-of-Care Ultrasonography in Advanced Nephrology Nursing Practice: Seeing Beyond the Numbers.

Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2025
Same author

Contextualizing POCUS Findings in Heart Failure: Cautions and Considerations for Nephrologists.

Canadian journal of kidney health and disease·2025

Area of Science:

  • Medical Imaging
  • Anatomical Variants
  • Renal Ultrasound

Background:

  • Extrarenal pelvis is an anatomical variant.
  • It can be mistaken for hydronephrosis on renal ultrasound.
  • Distinguishing between them is crucial for accurate diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the sonographic features of extrarenal pelvis.
  • To differentiate extrarenal pelvis from hydronephrosis.
  • To improve point-of-care ultrasound diagnostic accuracy.

Main Methods:

  • Review of ultrasound images.
  • Comparison of findings in patients with extrarenal pelvis and hydronephrosis.
  • Identification of key distinguishing sonographic features.
Keywords:
Extrarenal pelvishydronephrosisrenal ultrasound

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Extrarenal pelvis presents as a hypoechoic mass near the renal sinus.
  • Unlike hydronephrosis, it lacks calyceal dilation, parenchymal thinning, hydroureter, or kidney enlargement.
  • These features help differentiate it from obstructive processes.

Conclusions:

  • Extrarenal pelvis is a common variant easily confused with hydronephrosis.
  • Careful evaluation of associated renal structures on ultrasound is key to accurate differentiation.
  • Recognition of this variant avoids unnecessary interventions for non-obstructive conditions.