Publication:

Emphysematous pyelonephritis: a rare case report

Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is a rare and life threatening infection of kidney characterized by gas in the renal parenchyma and surrounding tissues. It occurs mostly in patients with diabetes mellitus and has a predilection for females. It is associated with a high mortality in the absence of rapid and effective treatment; therefore, aggressive medical management, early intervention or surgical approach is recommended. Reported here is a case of a 52-year female with previous medical history of diabetes presented with uncontrolled hyperglycaemia, fever and dysuria with right sided flank pain. She was diagnosed with emphysematous pyelonephritis and successfully treated. As emphysematous pyelonephritis is a life-threatening infection, it should always be considered in the differential diagnosis for a patient with fever with abdominal pain or suspected pyelonephritis particularly in a diabetic.