Embryologic Development and Defects · USMLE Step 1

A child presents with a horseshoe kidney. This congenital anomaly is due to fusion of the kidneys at which structure?

  1. Upper poles
  2. Lower poles
  3. Renal hilum
  4. Renal medulla
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Correct answer: Lower poles

Horseshoe kidneys fuse at the lower poles. As they ascend, they become trapped under the inferior mesenteric artery.

Difficulty: Medium Question 13 of 20

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