An Unusual Cause of Mediastinal Mass — A Case Report and Literature Review of Intrathoracic Kidney

Posterior mediastinal mass is not an uncommon condition seen in clinical practice. It often generates anxiety among healthcare providers, as the most common cause of a posterior mediastinal mass is a neurogenic tumour which potentially can be malignant and carries serious consequences. A very rare b...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Siew Le Chong MRCPCH (UK), Sing Ming Chao MMED (Paeds), FAMS
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2012-06-01
Series:Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/201010581202100209
Description
Summary:Posterior mediastinal mass is not an uncommon condition seen in clinical practice. It often generates anxiety among healthcare providers, as the most common cause of a posterior mediastinal mass is a neurogenic tumour which potentially can be malignant and carries serious consequences. A very rare but generally benign cause of such a mass is an intrathoracic ectopic kidney. Due to its rarity, literature on the intrathoracic kidney, its management, prognosis and complications is sparse and confined to case reports. We report a rare case of a two-month old baby who had a chest x-ray done for a prolonged cough and was found to have a posterior mediastinal mass, which was later diagnosed to be an intrathoracic ectopic kidney. The approach to mediastinal mass and literature review of an intrathoracic ectopic kidney and its complications are also discussed.
ISSN:2010-1058
2059-2329