FreeMedSite Clinical Review Horseshoe Kidney Complete Guide: Embryology, Anatomy, and Clinical Associations. Definition A horseshoe kidney is a congenital renal anomaly in which the inferior poles of both kidneys fuse across the midline, forming a U-shaped or horseshoe-shaped kidney. Embryologic Mechanism During normal development, kidneys form in the pelvis and ascend to the upper abdomen. In horseshoe kidney, the inferior poles fuse early . When the fused kidney attempts to ascend, it gets trapped under the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) . Because of this obstruction, the kidneys remain lower in the abdomen than normal. ...
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