Thoracic ectopic kidney is a rare anomaly, the rarest of all renal ectopia types (p = 0.005%). Herein, we describe a case of thoracic ectopic kidney in an 83-year-old black man who, upon seeking medical attention, presented a clinical profile consistent with pulmonary emphysema. A chest X-ray was ordered, and the results showed evidence of a mass, which was then diagnosed (through computed tomography) as renal ectopia. The majority of thoracic ectopic kidney cases present as an intrathoracic tumor seen on chest X-rays ordered for reasons other than suspicion of this anomaly and do not require special treatment.

Keywords: Key words: Ectopic. Renal. Thoracic. Lung.