Current clinical management of renal and perinephric abscesses

Renal and perinephric abscesses are rare but very severe conditions resulting from infections in or surrounding the kidneys. Symptoms and imaging techniques, such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and renal ultrasound (US) of higher quality have led to an early diagnosis that is very important for patients' prognosis. The best clinical approach to manage this disease is still debated. Antibiotic therapy represents the usual treatment of small renal abscesses. This management can be insufficient in case of larger renal abscesses requiring percutaneous or surgical drainage. Perinephric abscesses most commonly need invasive maneuvers. We conducted a literature review to clearly define the most recommended clinical managements for all cases of renal and perinephric abscesses.