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Case Reports
. 2023 Oct 20;15(10):e47367.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.47367. eCollection 2023 Oct.

Unprovoked Spontaneous Kidney Rupture (Wunderlich's Syndrome) Managed by Renal Artery Embolization

Abdulmalek Alzahrani  1 , Mohammed Alsayed  2 , Rana Alkhaibari  1 , Ahmad T Alharbi  1 , Badr Bannan  1 , Zergham Zia  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Unprovoked Spontaneous Kidney Rupture (Wunderlich's Syndrome) Managed by Renal Artery Embolization

Abdulmalek Alzahrani et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Wunderlich's syndrome is a rare, unfamiliar disease that can present with flank pain, flank mass, and hypovolemic shock without any history of trauma. In this article, we present a sudden, unprovoked kidney rupture managed by renal artery embolization. This report emphasizes the importance of early referral and prompt management, which can be lifesaving.

Keywords: active bleeding; flank pain; renal artery embolization; spontaneous kidney rupture; wunderlich's syndrome.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Greyscale ultrasound images in the longitudinal plane
Seen is an unremarkable right kidney (A) apart from the minimal perinephric free fluid (white arrow in image B).
Figure 2
Figure 2. Enhanced sagittal, axial, and coronal CT scans acquired in the arterial phase
Seen is a shattered kidney with cortical distortion and active contrast extravasation (white arrows in images A, B, and C).
Figure 3
Figure 3. Digital subtraction renal angiography images showing an active contrast extravasation from the right renal artery (white arrows in images A and B)
Figure 4
Figure 4. Digital subtraction renal angiography images showing the successful coil embolization of the right renal artery (white arrows in both images)
Figure 5
Figure 5. Enhanced sagittal and coronal CT scan
A and B: An infected hematoma with air pockets (white arrows), C: Coil embolization (arrowhead)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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