Rupture of angiomyolipoma of the kidney presenting as puerperal collapse

We report an unusual presentation of angiomyolipoma of the kidney. Whilst a conservative surgical approach is ideal, the greatly increased cardiac output in pregnancy makes haemorrhage more severe and hence more radical surgery is often required. The difficulty in reaching a correct pre-operative diagnosis can lead to an unusual approach to nephrectomy, of which the surgeon should be forewarned.