FAILURE TO VISUALISE A MULTICYSTIC KIDNEY WITH TECHNETIUM 99m-DTPA DOSE NOT PRECLUDE RECOVERABLE FUNCTION.

Abstract

We present a patient with multicystic left kidney as diagnosed by ultrasonography. A 99m Tc-DTPA scan showed absent uptake by the left kidney. However, postoperative scan after partial nephrectomy was normal. In this case, absence of 99m Tc-DTPA uptake by the kidney does not necessarily mean that renal function is irreversible lost in patient with multiple cysts.. In general, the renal uptake of 99m Tc-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) is a measure of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and absent uptake is equivalent to non-function. In this report, we describe a patient who had non-visualised left kidney on 99m-Tc DTPA scan due to obstruction by multiple cysts, but normal renal function returned after surgical removal of the cysts.