Hi I recently had a cat scan done w/o contrast my doctor went over my X-ray and saw that one of my kidney was not showing the Lima bean shape my kidney looks like it is sagging I am going for another scat scan soon w/contrast to see inside what do u suppose could be wrong with my kidney
Hi, Thanks for writing in. There are many situations in which the kidneys do not appear exactly bean shaped and this also depends on the image section and how it has been taken. There are congenital conditions where the kidneys might be slightly larger or smaller on one side. There can also be a fused kidney which is called a horse shoe kidney. There are normal people with hypertrophied kidneys. Many abnormal conditions also cause change in appearance of kidneys and deviation from the bean shape. This can happen due to infections and neoplasms in the kidney. A stone causing urinary obstruction in the kidneys or ureters can also make the kidney appear swollen and lose its bean shape. It is important to discuss the scan findings with your doctor and confirm your condition and possible reason for the kidney not having the typical bean shape.