European Journal of Anatomy

Official Journal of The Spanish Society of Anatomy
Cover Volume 18 - Number 2
Eur J Anat, 18 (2): 128-131 (2014)

Gross anatomy of the horseshoe kidney: a case report with brief review of literature

Roopali D. Nikumbh, Shahin Kazi and Manohar N. Ughade

Department of Anatomy, JMFâ??S ACPM Medical College, Dhule, India

ABSTRACT The various congenital malformations of the kidney are important as they may cause renal failure in middle-age groups. The horseshoe kidney (HSK) was originally regarded as a rare anatomical curiosity which was seen only on post-mortem. Horseshoe kidneys are congenital fusion anomalies with a prevalence of 1/400 to 1/800 and incidence of 0.25% in general population. HSK is more prevalent in men than women in a 2:1 relation.During routine anatomical dissection in the formal course for undergraduate students of our college, the gross anomaly of a horseshoe kidney was found. The horseshoe kidney was arrested inferior to the inferior mesenteric artery in a middle-aged male cadaver. The kidneys were fused inferiorly by an isthmus of parenchymatous tissue, both the hila were wide and the right kidney was supplied by two and the left by three arteries. A review of the embryology and clinical importance of this rare anomaly are also discussed.

Keywords: Horseshoe kidney, Gross anatomy, Congenital, Fusion anomaly

European Journal of anatomy
ISSN 2340-311X (Online)