Objective: To define the clinical, laboratory and morphological features of emphysematous pyelonephritis, as well as the treatment modalities, with particular emphasis on the need for urgent treatment.
Material and methods: Between 1987 and 2004, 21 patients were treated for emphysematous pyelonephritis. Epidemiological, clinical, laboratory and radiological data, treatments and clinical outcome were retrospectively collected for all patients.
Results: This series comprised 15 women and six men with a mean age of 54.6 years. All were diabetic. Upper urinary tract obstruction was demonstrated in 47.6% of cases. The left kidney was affected in 14 patients and the right kidney was affected in six patients. Only one patient had bilateral pyelonephritis. The diagnosis was established by CT in every case. All patients received appropriate intensive care. Treatment was purely medical in one case. Emergency nephrectomy was performed in 12 patients, emergency surgical drainage was performed in three patients, percutaneous drainage was performed in two cases and ureteric catheter drainage was performed in three patients. The mortality rate in this series was 23.8%.
Conclusion: Emphysematous pyelonephritis is a serious infection. Early diagnosis is essential, particularly in diabetic patients. The positive diagnosis is based on computed tomography and treatment is now increasingly conservative.