Bilateral Emphysematous Pyelonephritis with Hepatic Portal Venous Gas: Case Report

Emphysematous pyelonephritis is a rare life-threatening condition caused by a severe acute necrotising infection of the renal parenchyma and its perinephric tissues, and it is commonly seen in diabetic patients. There is a rare association between emphysematous pyelonephritis and hepatic portal venous gas. Hepatic portal venous gas is an uncommon radiological finding, which implies a significant underlying abdominal disease. The management of emphysematous pyelonephritis has evolved from prompt nephrectomy to medical therapy. In the present report, we present a case of a diabetic woman diagnosed with bilateral emphysematous pyelonephritis with hepatic portal venous gas that was successfully managed medically despite the presence of poor prognostic factors, such as acute renal failure and thrombocytopenia.

Keywords
acute renal failure; diabetes mellitus; hepatic veins; necrotizing pyelonephritis; nephrectomy