Wunderlich syndrome – good imaging avoids bad surgery: a case report and short review

摘要

Spontaneous renal hemorrhage, known as Wunderlichsyndrome, is a rare clinical condition. The most commoncause is a tumor – benign or malignant. Other causesare: rupture of a renal cyst, vasculitis, hydronephrosis,pre-eclampsia, and kidney infections. Although rare,this syndrome may cause life-threatening hemorrhagicshock – it requires prompt diagnosis and treatment.Radiologic imaging plays an essential role in the diagnosis,although often misleading and insecure aboutthe underlying entity. We report a case of Wunderlichsyndrome caused by a renal cell carcinoma in a patienton anticoagulant treatment. A short review based on theliterature is also presented.