Spontaneous renal forniceal rupture due to advanced cervical carcinoma with obstructive uropathy

To report and describe the clinical presentation and outcome of a woman presenting with gross perinephric urinary extravasation (due to spontaneous renal forniceal rupture), secondary to malignant obstructive uropathy caused by advanced cervical carcinoma. To review the etiopathogenesis, approach to diagnosis and management of 'spontaneous renal forniceal rupture. The published English literature (PubMed (TM)) was searched for similar cases of 'spontaneous renal forniceal rupture' using the keywords: carcinoma cervix, metastatic carcinoma cervix, renal pelvis rupture, renal fornix rupture, spontaneous renal fornix rupture and urinoma. The diagnosis of renal forniceal rupture with gross urinoma formation secondary to advanced cervical carcinoma was suspected on ultrasound and was subsequently confirmed by a computed tomographic scan of the abdomen. Percutaneous nephrostomy with a pigtail catheter resolved the urinoma. Search results for similar cases yielded several causes of spontaneous renal forniceal rupture, however, only one such case report due to advanced cervical carcinoma was found. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second case of spontaneous renal forniceal rupture secondary to ureteral obstruction caused by advanced cervical carcinoma to be reported in the published English literature. A high clinical index of suspicion is warranted in any patient of advanced cervical carcinoma that presents with sudden uremia or oliguria with flank pain and swelling in order to arrive at an early diagnosis. A decompressive nephrostomy may provide the much needed comfort and succor towards prolonging the life of such unfortunate patients.