Congenital absence of the kidney: problems in diagnosis and management

We describe 6 patients with congenital absence of 1 kidney that has been confirmed surgically. These cases illustrate the thesis that renal agenesis can modify the presentation and the management of urinary tract disease, and include the only published account of carcinoma of the ureter draining a single kidney. The place of cystoscopy, isotopic studies, ultrasonography, computerized tomography, arteriography and renal venography is described briefly. The frequent difficulty in establishing a definite diagnosis of renal agenesis is emphasized and the indications for the investigation of possible cases of renal agenesis are reviewed.