Prognosis
Prognosis or complications related to episodes
of pyelonephritis may be dependent on response
to initial treatment and/or vulnerability
to any complications outlined previously.
Complications and morbidity related to
pyelonephritis include (Richardson and
Henderson 2009, Volpicelli et al 2009, Leroy et
al 2010, You et al 2010, Fulop and Mena 2012):
Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP).
Renal abscess or haematoma formation.
Emphysematous formation of air in tissues.
Acute renal failure.
Chronic renal damage leading to renal
failure and hypertension.
Sepsis.
XGP is an uncommon sequel of acute or
chronic pyelonephritis. It involves chronic
destruction and damage to parts of the kidney
in association with long-term obstruction of
the urinary tract and subsequent infection
(Li and Parwani 2011). In general, XGP affects
more females than males and may occur in
any age group. Unlike some patients with
pyelonephritis, patients with XGP are almost
always systemically unwell with fever, flank
pain, haematuria and weight loss (Li and
Parwani 2011). There is often a mass palpable
in the renal angle between the inferior margin
of the 12th rib and the lateral border of the
adjacent erector spinae muscles.
Suspicion of XGP based on these clinical
findings may be confirmed by computed