[Conservative treatment in diabetic patients with emphysematous pyelonephritis: about five cases]

Acute emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is a severe kidney infection. Early and effective treatment is essential to reduce high mortality rates due to this disease. Our study aims to highlight the clinical and paraclinical features as well as the peculiarities of therapeutic management of this disease and focus on the possibility of conservative treatment in diabetic patients. We analyzed the medical records of patients with EPN treated in the Department of Urology at the Hassan II University Hospital, Fez between January 2004 and January 2010. For each medical record we described clinical, paraclinical and therapeutic features as well as patient's evolution after treatment. We here report the case of 5 female patients whose average age was 45,6 years. All patients were diabetic. Lithiasic obstruction of the upper urinary tract was found in 3 patients (60%). The diagnosis was made by means of abdominal CT scan. All patients underwent resuscitation measures including antibiotic and insulin therapy. Conservative surgical procedure was performed in all cases. Indeed, surgical drainage of perirenal collections was performed in two cases, percutaneous renal drainage in one case and drainage using double-J ureteral catheter in 2 cases. Clinical and radiological evolution was excellent with renal preservation in all patients Emphysematous pyelonephritis is a rare and serious complication, especially in diabetic patients. Diagnosis is based on CT scan. Surgical treatment should be conservative in most cases, apart from severe forms, especially in diabetic patients who have potential risk of chronic renal failure.