Right ectopic intrathoracic kidney: Unusual clinical presentation in a young patient affected by scrotal varicocele.

Intrathoracic kidney is a partial or complete displacement of the kidney above the hemidiaphragm into the mediastinal compartment of the thorax. It is usually seen as an incidental finding discovered on chest radiograph or abdominal ultrasound. However computed tomography consents the correct detection of intrathoracic masses and defines their shape, size, and extent. We here report a case of ectopic thoracic kidney in a 22-year-old man who had a long history of scrotal discomfort associated with right varicocele. Frequently, this ectopia does not affect renal function and the stretched ureter provides good drainage. In literature, a small number of cases shows that varicocele is a possible mode of presentation of kidney tumors, but this is the first case of varicocele secondary to intrathoracic kidney ectopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]