Intrathoracic kidney in a child with literature review

Abstract

Intrathoracic kidney (ITK) is an extremely rare congenital anomaly, often asymptomatic and discovered incidentally on chest radiography. Diagnosis in children is less frequent than in adults. It affects males more than females and is more common on the left side. Symptoms can be present if it is associated with diaphragmatic defect, herniation of abdominal contents or respiratory compromise. We report a case of a three-year-old boy with right ITK, diagnosed incidentally by chest radiography during treatment of lower respiratory tract infection and confirmed by chest computerized tomography scan.