Definition:
Renal carbuncle is the medical term for abscess of the kidney, or a localized collection of pus in the kidney.
Diagnosis:
Diagnosis of renal carbuncle is mostly on the basis of clinical manifestations, a physical exam, and the patient’s medical history.
Treatment:
Most renal carbuncle cases almost invariably need hospitalization. Medical therapy consists primarily of antibiotics to target the infection or underlying that’s causing the renal carbuncle. Another option is surgical intervention, wherein the abscess or renal carbuncle needs to be surgically drained.
Symptoms and Signs:
Renal carbuncle typically causes various symptoms such as: localized pain; fever; chills; and general malaise.
Causes:
In general, any infection is capable of traveling to the kidney from any part of the body, ultimately causing an abscess or a urinary tract infection. The infection that causes renal carbuncle may also originate from the kidneys themselves, with kidney stones and kidney inflammations as possible triggers.
