Perforation of a suppurative solitary renal cyst

Spontaneous rupture of an infected renal cyst and external drainage through a lumbar surgical scar in a male patient with cervical spinal cord injury: a case report

Introduction

The spontaneous rupture of an infected renal cyst is a rare event. Spontaneous rupture with drainage to the exterior through a surgical scar has not been reported previously.

Case presentation

A 49-year-old male with tetraplegia had undergone extended right pyelolithotomy in 1999. Deroofing and marsupialisation of a cyst in the upper pole of the right kidney was performed in 2003. Subsequently there was recurrence of a thick-walled cystic space-occupying lesion in the upper pole of the right kidney. Thick pus was aspirated from the renal cyst on six occasions between September 2003 and November 2004. In March 2006, ultrasound examination revealed a cyst measuring 6.2 cm in diameter in the upper pole of the right kidney. Aspiration was planned when the renal cyst reached 7.5 cm in diameter. However, 11 months later, the cyst ruptured spontaneously and drained through the previous surgical scar in the flank, while the patient was recovering from a severe chest infection in the spinal unit. Ultrasound examination showed a fistulous tract running between the renal cyst and the abdominal wall. Repeated minor trauma sustained during turning, hoisting and chest physiotherapy all may have contributed to the rupture of the infected renal cyst and drainage through a weak spot in the abdominal wall.

Conclusion

In hindsight, we might have prevented rupture of the renal cyst had we considered aspiration of the renal cyst before it reached 7.5 cm in diameter, although this 7.5 cm diameter, as the threshold for percutaneous aspiration, is an arbitrary setting. This patient could have been advised to wear an abdominal corset to protect the right flank from pressure applied unintentionally during turning, hoisting or assisted coughing.

Death From Renal Cyst

We report an unusual death of an apparently healthy 56-year-old male due to massive hemorrhage caused by rupture of an artery in the wall of a solitary renal cyst, possibly after a relatively minor trauma. Fatalities due to spontaneous or posttraumatic rupture of renal cysts are extremely rare but can represent a potential danger for people with acquired cystic kidney disease. Our report describes results of the forensic investigation and discusses possible mechanisms of the rupture.

Infected renal cystic mass associated with bacterial meningitis: a case report

We report a case of an infected renal cystic mass associated with bacterial meningitis in a 70-year-old woman who had had poorly-controlled diabetes mellitus for approximately 30 years. She suffered from bacterial meningitis due to Klebsiella pneumoniae, which was successfully treated with antimicrobial chemotherapy for 1 month. Approximately 2 weeks later she developed left flank pain and a high fever. A CT scan and an ultrasonogram revealed a left renal cystic mass, which was considered to be an infected renal cyst. Turbid and thick fluid was obtained by percutaneous aspiration which contained numerous white blood cells. Culture of this fluid yielded K. pneumoniae. The bacterial meningitis was considered to be a secondary infection of the septicemia which resulted from the infected renal cystic mass.

Polycystic kidney disease: etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment

Once viewed as hopelessly incurable disorders and the dustbin for careers in academic medicine, the polycystic kidney diseases have emerged as prime targets of pathophysiologic study and palliative and definitive treatment in the era of molecular medicine. Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) may be hereditary or acquired. The major inherited types are autosomal dominant (AD) and autosomal recessive (AR). ADPKD is caused by at least two (and possibly three) genes located on separate chromosomes, while ADPKD-1 is due to a 14 kb transcript in a duplicated region on the short arm of chromosome 16 very near the alpha-globin gene cluster and the gene for one form of tuberous sclerosis. ADPKD-2 has been assigned to the long arm of chromosome 4. ARPKD is due to a mutated gene on both copies of the long arm of chromosome 6. Cysts originate in renal tubules. Proliferation of tubule epithelial cells modulated by endocrine, paracrine, and autocrine factors is a major element in the pathogenesis of renal cystic diseases. In addition, fluid that is abnormally accumulated within the cysts is derived from glomerular filtrate and, to a greater extent, by transepithelial fluid secretion. Abnormal synthesis and degradation of matrix components associated with interstitial inflammation are additional features in the pathogenesis of renal cystic diseases. The ADPKD genotypes are characterized by bilateral kidney cysts, hypertension, hematuria, renal infection, stones, and renal insufficiency. ADPKD is a systemic disorder; cysts appear with decreasing frequency in the kidneys, liver, pancreas, brain, spleen, ovaries, and testis. Cardiac valvular disorders, abdominal and inguinal hernias, and aneurysms of cerebral and coronary arteries and aorta are also associated with ADPKD. Treatment is supportive: dietary regulation of salt and protein intake, control of hypertension and renal stones, and dialysis and transplantation at the end stage. ARPKD is a relatively rare disease that causes clinical symptoms at birth, with significant mortality in the first month of life. The cysts develop primarily in the collecting ducts because of a failure in the maturation process. Early complications include Potter's syndrome; excessive size of the kidneys, causing respiratory dysfunction; hypertension; and renal insufficiency. Hepatic fibrosis is an associated extrarenal problem that results in significant morbidity in young children and adolescents. Treatment includes supportive care, dialysis, and renal transplantation. Acquired cysts (solitary/simple) are commonplace in older persons. Multiple cysts may be seen in association with potassium deficiency, congenital disorders, metabolic diseases, and toxic renal injury.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)