A 47-year-old male complained of anuria for 2 days with elevated creatinine of 14 mg/dL on admission. Patient underwent emergent hemodialysis. Non-contrast CT showed a solitary ectopic pelvic kidney with a 2 cm. pelvolithiasis and a 1 cm upper pole calyceal stone with obstructive hydronephrosis. He therefore underwent ultrasound-guided nephrostomy tube placement. Once clinically stable, the patient underwent a multi-tract supine PCNL. Intraoperatively, the authors noted tense abdominal distention accompanied by hypotension during the procedure. A diagnosis of compartment syndrome secondary to hydroperitoneum was considered. An indwelling stent and a nephrostomy tube were placed. An abdominal pigtail drain was placed removing three liters of fluid. The patient remained intubated for 3 days. He underwent blood transfusion. He required two 2 sessions of hemodialysis postoperatively. The patient was discharged in stable condition on postoperative day 22. Hydroperitoneum is a potential complication of PCNL in ectopic pelvic kidneys. Its prompt recognition, followed by immediate aspiration of intraabdominal fluid and drain placement is life-saving.
solitary kidney ; hydroperitoneum ; compartment syndrome

Management of nephrolithiasis in patients with urinary diversions pose a unique therapeutic challenge for the following reasons: 1) retrograde ureteral access is difficult to perform through a bowel diversion and 2) percutaneous renal access becomes challenging because of inability to do a retrograde pyelogram. For this reason, image-guided access through a combined ultrasound and fluoroscopic guidance are both necessary. This clinical problem becomes even more complicated when dealing with a solitary functioning kidney. Treatment should be precise in order to avoid any complications that may progress to renal failure. Presented here is a 15-year-old male adolescent who had previously undergone a radical cystectomy with an ileal conduit for a rhabdomyosarcoma of the bladder last 2008, and complained of flank pain, fever and foul-smelling urine. Imaging studies showed left obstructive hydronephrosis with ureterolithiasis and nephrolithiasis, and an atrophic contralateral kidney. A preliminary nephrostomy tube drainage was done to recover renal function, followed later by percutaneous endoscopic stone management. Discussed here are the challenges involved in his therapy as well as the advantages of a stepwise approach including the short-term outcomes.
ileal conduit ; pediatric ; solitary kidney