Hydronephrosis caused by a relapse of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's)

Mod Rheumatol. 2012 Aug;22(4):616-20. doi: 10.1007/s10165-011-0554-0. Epub 2011 Nov 9.

Abstract

We describe a case of relapsed granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's) (GPA) that presented with abdominal pain. (18)F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D: -glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)/computed tomography (CT) clearly depicted an inflammation of the left peri-iliac arterial soft tissue, which was thought to be the cause of the ureteral obstruction and hydronephrosis. Our case shows that peri-iliac arterial inflammation occurs in GPA and causes hydronephrosis. In addition, FDG-PET/CT is a useful tool for management of this systemic inflammatory disease.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Cyclophosphamide / therapeutic use
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Glucocorticoids / therapeutic use
  • Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis / complications
  • Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis / diagnosis*
  • Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Hydronephrosis / diagnosis*
  • Hydronephrosis / etiology
  • Hydronephrosis / surgery
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Methylprednisolone / therapeutic use
  • Microscopic Polyangiitis / complications
  • Microscopic Polyangiitis / diagnosis*
  • Microscopic Polyangiitis / drug therapy
  • Multimodal Imaging
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Recurrence
  • Remission Induction
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Glucocorticoids
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Cyclophosphamide
  • Methylprednisolone