Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP) is an infection of the kidney that often results from a chronic obstruction, such as a kidney stone. We present a patient with a massively enlarged left renal pelvis with minimal renal parenchyma presenting as an end stage ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO). The patient was afebrile during his time in the emergency room (ER). Urinalysis was significant for trace leukocyte esterase and 11–20 WBCs. His creatinine during his ER encounter was 1.02. Due to his normal creatinine, a percutaneous nephrostomy tube was not placed. Preoperatively, we did not suspect XGP or pyonephrosis given his prior ER results. Shortly after the patient′s ER presentation he was taken to surgery and final pathology revealed XGP. We were able to successfully perform a robotic‐assisted laparoscopic radical nephrectomy for stage I XGP safely, which included drainage of over two liters of pyogenic urine during the surgery.
Berends et al. (Thu,) studied this question.