Related Experiment Videos
Pyelonephritis complicating relapsing acute pancreatitis.
J C Brandes1, D A Campbell, J G Kleinman
1Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee.
American Journal of Nephrology
|January 1, 1989
Summary
This case report details pyelonephritis and hydronephrosis as rare complications of acute pancreatitis. Extrapancreatic inflammation can obstruct the renal tract, mimicking pancreatitis symptoms and requiring clinical awareness.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Gastroenterology
- Urology
Background:
- Acute pancreatitis can lead to extrapancreatic inflammation and complications.
- Hydronephrosis is a rare but serious complication of inflammation outside the pancreas.
- Previous literature documents few cases of right-sided hydronephrosis due to extrapancreatic inflammation.
Observation:
- A patient presented with right pyelonephritis and hydronephrosis complicating acute pancreatitis.
- A right pararenal phlegmon was identified as the cause of partial obstruction.
- The phlegmon's pressure on the right upper renal tract led to secondary pyelonephritis.
Findings:
- This is the first reported case of pyelonephritis secondary to phlegmon-induced obstruction of the right renal tract.
- The clinical presentation of pyelonephritis (flank pain, fever) can be misattributed to pancreatitis.
- Laboratory evidence supported pyelonephritis in the context of renal tract obstruction.
Implications:
- Clinicians managing acute pancreatitis must consider pyelonephritis as a differential diagnosis.
- Early recognition of renal tract obstruction is crucial to prevent further kidney damage.
- Awareness of this complication can improve patient outcomes and diagnostic accuracy.