Pelvic kidney

If a kidney does not ascend as it should in normal foetal development it remains in the pelvic area and is called a pelvic kidney, ectopic kidney, or pancake kidney. Often a person with a pelvic kidney will go through their whole life not even knowing they have this condition, unless it is discovered on newborn kidney ultrasound screening or if complications arise later in life for this or a completely different reason, and during investigations the condition is diagnosed. It is not a harmful condition generally, but can develop complications.