ABSTRACT

The condition was first described by Franciscus de Pedemantanus in the 14th century. Subsequently, Rayer described the characteristic symptoms attributable to a ptotic kidney in 1841(1). Historically, nephroptosis occurs more frequently in lean young females with a female-to-male ratio of about 5 to 10:1. The right kidney is affected in 70% of the cases. However, such data have to be evaluated cautiously because in approximately 20% of normal, asymptomatic females, the intravenous urogram was observed to have significant renal descent consistent with a diagnosis of nephroptosis (2,3). As such, from a practical standpoint, true symptomatic nephroptosis is a rare condition, and the diagnosis should be made with due circumspection.