Spontaneous rupture of an infected renal cyst and external drainage through a lumbar surgical scar in a male patient with cervical spinal cord injury: a case report
2008

Spontaneous Rupture of an Infected Renal Cyst in a Tetraplegic Patient

Sample size: 1 publication Evidence: low

Author Information

Author(s): Vaidyanathan Subramanian, Hughes Peter L, Oo Tun, Soni Bakul M

Primary Institution: Regional Spinal Injuries Centre, District General Hospital, Southport, UK

Conclusion

The spontaneous rupture of an infected renal cyst in a tetraplegic patient led to external drainage through a surgical scar, which may have prevented systemic infection.

Supporting Evidence

  • The patient had a history of multiple aspirations of the renal cyst before it ruptured.
  • Ultrasound showed a fistulous tract between the renal cyst and the abdominal wall.
  • The rupture occurred while the patient was recovering from a severe chest infection.

Takeaway

A man with a spinal cord injury had a kidney cyst that burst and leaked out through an old surgery scar, which is very rare. If doctors had acted sooner, they might have stopped it from happening.

Methodology

Case report detailing the medical history, examinations, and outcomes of a single patient.

Limitations

The findings are based on a single case, limiting generalizability.

Participant Demographics

49-year-old male with cervical spinal cord injury and tetraplegia.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1752-1947-2-154

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