Kidney nontumor / medical renal

Infection

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis



Last author update: 4 August 2014
Last staff update: 2 June 2023 (update in progress)

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PubMed Search: Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis

Nikhil Sangle, M.D.
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Cite this page: Sangle N. Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/kidneyxantho.html. Accessed June 2nd, 2023.
Definition / general
Clinical features
  • Destructive inflammatory process that may complicate chronic pyelonephritis
  • Usually unilateral, ages 40+, 67% women
  • Associated with pelvicalyceal obstruction and ulceration
  • Rarely coexists with squamous cell carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma (J Cancer Res Ther 2010;6:339, ScientificWorldJournal 2009;9:5)
Case reports
Gross description
  • Multiple yellow nodules around calyces, may form a mass and be infiltrative
Gross images

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Microscopic (histologic) description
  • Replacement of renal parenchyma with CD68+ foamy histiocytes, occasional multinucleated giant cells and inflammatory cells
Microscopic (histologic) images

Case #323
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CD68



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Liesegang rings

Differential diagnosis
  • Malakoplakia: Michaelis-Gutmann bodies
  • Renal clear cell carcinoma: Cells with clear cytoplasm may resemble histiocytes, but are keratin+, CD68-; arranged in compact, tubulocystic, alveolar or rarely papillary patterns; often glassy hyaline globules; usually nuclear grade 2 or higher; chicken wire / delicate vasculature is common (sinusoids near each packet of cells)
  • Renal replacement lipomatosis: atrophic renal parenchyma is replaced by fatty tissue, not xanthoma cells (Rev Assoc Med Bras 2011;57:262)
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