[Gunshot wound to the kidney: case report and therapeutic management].

Gunshot wounds to the kidney occur with different regional incidence. They are commonly combined with thoracic and abdominal injuries. Gunshot wounds may be caused by low-velocity or high-velocity bullets. The latter are usually used with military weapons and cause a higher degree of tissue damage. The therapeutic management of renal gunshot wounds has changed in recent decades resulting in more organ-preserving strategies. An imperative indication for surgical exploration of the kidney is critical renal bleeding with symptoms of hypovolaemic shock. We report the case of a 23-year-old male admitted to the hospital with combined gunshot wounds from a small-bore weapon with damage of the liver, stomach and the left kidney. There were no signs of thoracic injuries. The patient underwent transabdominal exploration with treatment of the liver and stomach lesions, removal of the bullet and preservation of the left kidney. A percutaneous nephrostomy and drainage of the retroperitoneal region were inserted; antibiotic prophylaxis was given. A 4-week postoperative intravenous pyelogram showed complete integrity of the upper left tract and good renal function.