Multiple Percutaneous Drainage of a Giant Pyonephrosis Caused by Urolithiasis: A Case Report

The prevalence of kidney stones continues to rise in modern times. Undiagnosed and/or mistreated, it can result in suppurative kidney damage and, in rare instances, death from systemic infection. We present the case of a 40-year-old woman who presented to the county hospital for sleight left lumbar pain, fever, and pyuria for about two weeks. Ultrasound and CT scan revealed a giant hydronephrosis with no visible parenchyma, secondary to a stone in the pelvic-ureteral junction. Although a nephrostomy stent was placed, 48 hours later the purulent content was not evacuated completely. She was referred to a tertiary center, where two more nephrostomy tubes were placed to completely evacuate approximately 3 L of purulent urine. Three weeks later, after the inflammation parameters normalized, a nephrectomy was performed with good outcomes. A pyonephrosis urologic emergency can develop into septic shock, demanding rapid medical attention to prevent potentially fatal outcomes. In some circumstances, percutaneous draining of a purulent collection may not be sufficient to remove the whole purulent mass. Before nephrectomy, all collections must be removed with further percutaneous procedures.