[Radiological diagnosis of acute kidney abscess in adults. Early diagnosis apropos of 7 cases].

The authors report, in 7 cases, their experience of the early diagnosis of renal abscess. They emphasize the importance of recognising this disease by comparison of the findings of intra-venous urography and the clinical signs. They were thus able to avoid arteriography and surgical operation in 6 cases. The diagnosis depends on the finding of a mass in the right kidney (5 cases out of 7) on intravenous urography, usually in the upper pole (4 cases out of 7). This space-occupying lesion may be accompanied by a certain number of signs which are inconstant and not specific, e.g. disappearance of the normal calyx pattern which disappears under compression and is probably related to inflammation. In fact, this association of a tumour and fever, due to deep pus formation and urinary infection, suggests the diagnosis and leads to the prescription of antibiotics. The disapperance of the clinical and radiological négative signs within 10 days confirms the diagnosis. The persistence of the space-occupying lesion requires arteriography which will make the difference between chronic abscess and carcinoma.