Wandering kidney, also known as nephroptosis, is a condition where the kidney shifts downwards in the pelvis area when standing up. Symptoms include nausea, chills, and sharp pains. Diagnosis requires a physical exam and intravenous urography. Treatment may include surgery to secure the kidney in a natural position.
Also known as floating kidney or nephroptosis, a wandering kidney is a condition in which the kidney shifts when an individual stands up from a sitting position. Displacement usually involves moving downwards in the pelvis area. While both genders can develop a wandering kidney, the condition is more common among women.
The exact cause for developing a wandering kidney is often difficult to determine. What is certain is that the kidney begins to move once the support perinephric band has weakened to the point that it can no longer hold the kidney in a natural position. However, there is still considerable difference of opinion as to what factors must occur in order for the fascia to weaken sufficiently for the kidney to fluctuate or wander.
In terms of symptoms, many people with a wandering kidney show no outward signs of discomfort. In fact, the condition can go completely unnoticed unless discovered during a medical exam conducted to identify other conditions associated with the general area where the kidney resides. Fortunately, a errant kidney may not pose a threat to overall health in many people. Only when the condition exhibits some kind of outward symptoms is it highly likely that some kind of treatment will occur.
When symptoms are exhibited, they can include a wide range of outward manifestations. The individual may experience recurrent bouts of nausea, unexplained episodes of sudden chills, or sharp pains that seem to originate in the lower abdomen and travel to the groin area. Some patients report a feeling of extra weight in the pelvic area when standing. In many cases, symptoms subside once the individual returns to the prone position.
Diagnosing a wandering kidney requires a thorough examination by a qualified physician. The physical exam will include the use of intravenous urography, allowing the doctor to observe the movement of the kidney as the patient changes position. As part of the diagnosis, the doctor can determine the extent of the kidney drop when the patient rises from a prone position to a full standing position.
Depending on the severity of the condition, doctors may recommend a surgical procedure known as a nephropexy. The procedure is essentially a strategy to secure the kidney in a natural position and prevent floating or wandering from occurring. In addition to traditional nephropexy, newer techniques such as laparoscopic nephropexy are becoming more common. However, surgery is generally not used unless the patient experiences significant pain and discomfort from the condition.
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