Renal, Abdominal and Pelvic Masses

When investigating mass lesions palpable in the abdomen of an adult it is common to think of studies of the gastrointestinal tract as a first step. However, if in children a similar approach is adopted then very often no definitive diagnosis is likely to be reached. Although mass lesions do arise in the abdomen in children they are relatively uncommon; they can range from teratomas of the stomach to pancreatic pseudocysts through to Crohn’s disease of the terminal ileum and so on. Much the commonest causes for a mass palpable in the abdomen of an infant or child are related to posterior abdominal wall structures generally and the kidneys and urinary tract in particular.