Renal rupture associated with electrocution in a man with polycystic kidney disease

Electrocution is defined as death resulting from the passage of an electric current through the human body. Every year in France, 30 to 40 deaths (or 0.001%) are caused by electrocution. We report a case of electrocution (exposure to a high-voltage electric current estimated at 20 kVolts) associated with renal rupture in a 43-year-old man with polycystic kidney disease (PKD). The autopsy revealed (i) severe burns resulting from the passage of electric current; (ii) craniofacial blunt trauma due to the body being thrown to the ground, and (iii) PKD with rupture of the right renal hilum, causing massive blood loss. In this case, the kidney condition gives rise to several hypothesis regarding the role of the electric current in the renal rupture and death. We discuss the potential role of the passage of electric current as the cause of renal rupture. This severe and unprecedented event suggests that further investigations are essential in cases of electrification of patients with PKR, especially when the disease is severe.