J Korean Radiol Soc.  1997 Aug;37(2):341-346.

Nontraumatic Spontaneous Rupture of the Kidney: Etiology and CT Findings

• Heo TH
• Jeon HJ
• Shin HJ
• Kim BH
• Cho KS
• Kim YH
• Kim SH
• Park CM

Abstract

PURPOSE
To evaluate the usefulness of CT scanning in determining the etiology of spontaneous rupture of the kidney.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed the CT findings of spontaneous rupture of the kidney in eleven patients, Four were male and seven were female, and they were aged between 20 and 71 (mean, 46.6) years. Both pre- and post-contrast enhanced CT scanning was performed in all patients.
RESULTS
Spontaneous renal rupture was induced in seven cases by neoplasms (three angiomyolipomas, three renal cell carcinomas, and one metastatic choriocarcinoma), in three cases by infection or inflammation (acute and chronic pyelonephritis, and renal abscess), and in one, by renal cyst. Common CT findings of rupture of the kidney were the accumulation of high density fluid in the perirenal and anterior pararenal space, and in homogeneous irregular low density of renal parenchyma and the rupture site. Angoimyolipoma showed fat and an angiomatous component in the lesion, while acute and chronic pyelonephrities revealed thinning of the renal parenchyma and an irregular renal outline. Renal cell carcinoma showed a dense soft tissue mass in the parenchyma. Well-defined, round low-density lesions were noted in the case of renal cyst and renal abscess.
CONCLUSION
CT is very useful in diagnosing and determining the etiology of non-traumatic spontaneous rupture of the kidney and plays an important role in the evaluation of emergency cases.

Keyword

Kidney neoplasms, CT; Kidney, infection

MeSH Terms

Abscess
Angiomyolipoma
Carcinoma, Renal Cell
Emergencies
Female
Humans
Inflammation
Kidney*
Male
Pyelonephritis
Retrospective Studies
Rupture
Rupture, Spontaneous*
Tomography, X-Ray Computed