Acute Pyelonephritis Associated with Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: An Unusual Presentation

Abstract

We describe a rare presentation of acute pyelonephritis associated with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. A 68-year-old female presented to the emergency department with a 3 day history of cystitis. General examination revealed the acute onset of pain in the left flank accompanied by fever and chills. Blood tests revealed leucocytosis 25,400x109L and C-reactive protein 495 mg/L (400 mg/L in order to exclude complications and other potentially fatal pathologies.

Keywords

• acute pyelonephritis
• ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm
• abdominal ultrasound
• c-reactive protein