Emphysematous pyelonephritis

Emphysematous pyelonephritis, an uncommon severe necrotizing infection of the kidney, usually associated with diabetes mellitus, is a potentially fatal illness. We present a case of a 75-year-old woman with diabetes who was admitted with “pyelonephritis.” The computed tomography scan of her abdomen revealed gas in the renal parenchyma, and emphysematous pyelonephritis was diagnosed. The patient had a total nephrectomy, and was treated with antibiotics. Blood cultures and operative cultures grew Escherichia coli.