Phantom kidney in technetium-99m DTPA studies of renal blood flow: case report

Renal perfusion, filtration rate, and excretion can be evaluated with technetium-99m diethylenetriamine pentaactate (Tc-DTPA) using immediate and delayed imaging. Two cases are presented in which the immediate images reveal a bilateral distribution of radiotracer characteristic of bilateral renal perfusion, but the delayed images showed no evidence of filtration or excretion on one side. There was congenital absence of the kidney on that side in one case and surgical absence in the other. The apparent renal perfusion on the side of the absent kidney was probably attributable to perfusion of small bowel occupying the renal fossa.