Published online Jun 16, 2014. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v2.i6.215
Revised: January 6, 2014
Accepted: May 8, 2014
Published online: June 16, 2014
We report the case of an urgent nephrectomy because of a pyonephrosis and sepsis due to an unsuspected sarcomatoid transitional cell carcinoma, an infrequent subtype with a bad oncological prognosis. We present a 58-year-old man assessed by internal medicine for a general syndrome and weakness many months previously. A pyonephrotic kidney was observed at abdominal computed tomography in the context of septic shock, without suspecting the underlying cause. The pathology report described a sarcomatoid transitional cell carcinoma. Sarcomatoid transitional cell carcinoma is an invasive and infrequent subtype of urothelial tumors. The symptoms are often the same as other renal masses; however, in this case, sepsis and pyonephrosis were the rare initial symptoms.
Core tip: Sarcomatoid transitional cell carcinoma is an invasive and rare subtype of urothelial tumors. The symptoms are often the same as other renal masses; however, in this case, sepsis and pyonephrosis were the rare initial symptoms.