Use of an ectopic pelvic donor kidney for transplantation.

A case is presented in which an ectopic but otherwise normally functioning kidney was used for living related renal transplantation. The donor evaluation was complicated by nonvisualization of the ectopic kidney on intravenous pyelogram, presumably through an error in radiologic technique. Donor nephrectomy and transplantation of the recipient were performed uneventfully; the kidney had an ectopic arterial supply from the donor internal iliac artery which had to be anastomosed to the distal external iliac artery of the recipient because of the short vessels and short ureter. One year after transplantation, both donor and recipient are doing well with normal renal function. An ectopic kidney discovered in an otherwise healthy and willing donor should not preclude him from consideration.