Spontaneous rupture of renal and ureteral tumors presenting as acute abdominal condition

We report on 3 patients who presented with an acute onset of abdominal pain, a palpable abdominal mass and a rapid decrease in hemoglobin. In 2 patients a spontaneously ruptured hypernephroma was found and the other patient had a squamous cell carcinoma of the ureter with bleeding into the tumor. Although in all 3 cases the tumors were at an advanced stage of development, the patients had been entirely free of urological symptoms until shortly before hospitalization. The importance of considering the possibility of spontaneous rupture of such a tumor in the evaluation of cases of an acute abdomen is stressed.