Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis: A rare entity

CONTEXT: Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is an extremely rare but known entity resulting from prolonged suppuration of the kidney. The disease may be focal or diffuse and may pose considerable diagnostic dilemma at times. Surgery is curable and remains optimal treatment of choice. Owing to its rarity and clinical curiosity we report such a rare case encountered in our clinical practice. CASE REPORT: We report a case of non-functioning kidney suggestive of either Tuberculosis or xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis in the pre-operative period depending upon the clinical aqumen and investigations available and nephrectomy was done. It was confirmed as xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis histopathologically. CONCLUSION: Preoperative diagnosis of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis may pose difficulty and nephrectomy remains the treatment of choice especially in diffuse cases of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis.