title: Bilateral emphysematous pyelonephritis in a patient with no known risk factors.
abstract: Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is a rare life-threatening necrotizing infection of the kidney and perirenal space with gas formation. It is usually unilateral and affects patients with a risk factor such as diabetes or urinary obstruction. In the past, most patients required nephrectomy, and in bilateral cases long-term dialysis was inevitable. We present here the unusual case of a patient who developed bilateral EPN in the absence of any known risk factor. He was managed conservatively, required dialysis and bilateral nephrostomies, but eventually recovered completely.
authors: Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Stroger Hospital of Cook County, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA. phart@cchil.org
authors: Peter D
authors: PD
authors: Hart
authors: Mohammad
authors: M
authors: Vaseemuddin
authors: Osbert
authors: O
authors: Egiebor
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Dunea
mesh_terms: D004646:Emphysema / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009403:Nephrostomy, Percutaneous; D011704:Pyelonephritis / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006435:Renal Dialysis