title: Pyonephrosis as a sign of sarcomatoid carcinoma of the renal pelvis.
abstract: We report the case of an urgent nephrectomy because of a pyonephrosis and sepsis due to an unsuspected sarcomatoid transitional cell carcinoma, an infrequent subtype with a bad oncological prognosis. We present a 58-year-old man assessed by internal medicine for a general syndrome and weakness many months previously. A pyonephrotic kidney was observed at abdominal computed tomography in the context of septic shock, without suspecting the underlying cause. The pathology report described a sarcomatoid transitional cell carcinoma. Sarcomatoid transitional cell carcinoma is an invasive and infrequent subtype of urothelial tumors. The symptoms are often the same as other renal masses; however, in this case, sepsis and pyonephrosis were the rare initial symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Sergio Fernández-Pello, Iván González, Rodrigo Gil, Department of Urology, Cabueñes Hospital, 33394 Gijón, Spain.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fernández-Pello
authors.affiliation: Sergio Fernández-Pello, Iván González, Rodrigo Gil, Department of Urology, Cabueñes Hospital, 33394 Gijón, Spain.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Venta
authors.affiliation: Sergio Fernández-Pello, Iván González, Rodrigo Gil, Department of Urology, Cabueñes Hospital, 33394 Gijón, Spain.
authors.forename: Iván
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: Sergio Fernández-Pello, Iván González, Rodrigo Gil, Department of Urology, Cabueñes Hospital, 33394 Gijón, Spain.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.affiliation: Sergio Fernández-Pello, Iván González, Rodrigo Gil, Department of Urology, Cabueñes Hospital, 33394 Gijón, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen Luz
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Menéndez
keywords: Renal pelvis; Sarcomatoid; Urothelial carcinoma