[Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis: experience at the General Hospital of Albacete. Report of 16 cases]

A retrospective study of 16 Xanthogranulomatous Pyelonephritis (XGP) cases seen during a 12-years period (1983-1994) at the Hospital General de Albacete was performed. An analysis is made of the clinical features, laboratory data and imaging diagnostic techniques, comparing our findings with those of several series published in the literature. The outcome of this study is that clinical and biological picture of XGP is characteristic: Middle-aged woman admitted to a Internal Medicine Service because a constitutional syndrome, with important weight loss, general poor health, acceleration of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), anemia, hepatic disfunction and renal destruction imagings, frequently with renal stone and urinary tract infection history. This characteristics can be useful to suspect a XGP.