BACKGROUND: Complications of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) occur in a small number of patients, although serious injury is rare. OBJECTIVE: To report the serious complication of kidney rupture during ESWL. CASE REPORT: A 65-year-old man was transferred to the Emergency Department (ED) with right flank pain. He had undergone ESWL for the right renal stone at a regional hospital 2 days earlier. Flank pain developed immediately after ESWL and was not spontaneously relieved. Computed tomography scan performed at the regional hospital showed an extensive right perinephric hematoma. When the patient arrived at the ED, his vital signs were unstable but were stabilized with fluid resuscitation and transfusion. Conservative care with no nephrectomy was chosen because there was no evidence of active bleeding on Doppler ultrasound examination. He was uneventfully discharged on the 31st hospital day without further complications. CONCLUSION: Although it is rare, patients may present with kidney rupture or hypotension after ESWL.
BACKGROUND: Complications of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) occur in a small number of patients, although serious injury is rare. OBJECTIVE: To report the serious complication of kidney rupture during ESWL. CASE REPORT: A 65-year-old man was transferred to the Emergency Department (ED) with right flank pain. He had undergone ESWL for the right renal stone at a regional hospital 2 days earlier. Flank pain developed immediately after ESWL and was not spontaneously relieved. Computed tomography scan performed at the regional hospital showed an extensive right perinephric hematoma. When the patient arrived at the ED, his vital signs were unstable but were stabilized with fluid resuscitation and transfusion. Conservative care with no nephrectomy was chosen because there was no evidence of active bleeding on Doppler ultrasound examination. He was uneventfully discharged on the 31st hospital day without further complications. CONCLUSION: Although it is rare, patients may present with kidney rupture or hypotension after ESWL.