Xanthogranulomatous Pyelonephritis Presenting with Inferior Vena Cava Thrombus Mimicking Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report

The Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XPN) is a rare type of pyelonephritis (found in 4.0% to 8.2% of kidneys with pyelonephritis), where the renal parenchyma is infiltrated by lipid-laden foamy macrophages resulting in renal parenchymal destruction. It is associated with urolithiasis, diabetes mellitus, urinary tract obstruction and infections. The inflammation and the fibrosis infiltrates into the surrounding tissues. However renal vein thrombosis extending into the inferior vena cava (IVC) as a result of inflammation is rare. We report a case of left renal XPN and renal vein thrombosis extending into the inferior vena cava (IVC). This was treated with radical nephrectomy and IVC tumour clearance.