Lymphocytopenia may be a new indicator for infected obstructed kidneys secondary to urinary stone disease

OBJECTIVE: Infected obstructed kidney (IOK) is a urological emergency. We wanted to look at the role of serum inflammatory markers in these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with IOK requiring percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) at our university hospital were identified, and data were collected on lymphocyte count, C-reactive protein (CRP) and microbiology results. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients had PCN for IOK. Lymphocytopenia was seen in two-thirds of these patients. Severe lymphocytopenia was associated with a significant rise in CRP in all cases and following PCN, lymphocytopenia improved in the majority of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Lymphocytopenia seems to be associated with the severity of infection and could be a surrogate marker on its own or in conjunction with CRP for initial diagnosis and monitoring response to treatment in patients with IOKs.