THE USEFULNESS OF TC-99M DMSA SPECT AND 3-DIMENSIONAL SURFACE RENDERING IN AN ASYMPTOMATIC PATIENT WITH A SINGLE KIDNEY IN THE PELVIS

The diagnostic problems in a clinically asymptomatic patient with a pr eviously unknown ectopic single kidney in the pelvis and the diagnosti c utility of three-dimensional surface rendering of Tc-99m DMSA SPECT for delineating ectopic functional renal parenchyma are reported. Inco nclusive dynamic planar Tc-99m MAG3 renal scintigraphy was performed w ith the field of view centered at the upper abdomen. Twenty-four hours later, static planar Tc-99m DMSA scintigraphy 3 hours after injection delineated functional renal parenchyma only in the pelvis but did not reveal the shape of the organ. Three-dimensional surface rendering ex posed a single ectopic kidney in the pelvis. This case is the first de scription of the advantages of three-dimensional surface rendering of Tc-99m SPECT in the diagnosis of an ectopic kidney.