Necrosis papilar renal: el diagnóstico de un clásico en la era de la tomografía multidetector / Renal papillary necrosis: the diagnosis of a classic in the era of the multislice computed tomography

La necrosis papilar renal es una condición originada por múltiples factores, con consecuencias variadas incluyendo dentro de ellas el desarrollo de insuficiencia renal terminal y eventualmente la muerte. Su presentación en la pielografía de eliminación demuestra múltiples patrones de excavación papilar, que están muy bien descritos en la literatura clásica. Con el advenimiento de la urografía por tomografía computada multicorte, estos hallazgos han sido refinados, agregándose también nuevos signos, que incluyen, entre otros, la detección de cambios medulares precoces que podrían implicar, en un futuro cercano, un significativo cambio en la evolución y pronóstico de estos pacientes. En esta publicación hacemos una revisión y puesta al día de los aspectos imaginológicos de la necrosis papilar renal.

Renal papillary necrosis is a multifactorial entitiy that encompasses a wide range of consecuences, including end-stage renal impairment or even death. Its appearance on intravenous pyelography pictures reveals multiple patterns of papillary excavation, fairly well defined in traditional literature. With the advent of multislice computed tomography urography these findings have been refined and new radiological signs such as detection of early renal medullary changes, among others, have been added. The application of this imaging modality may translate into significant short-term improvements in the evolution and prognosis of these patients. This paper is intended to provide both a reviewing and an updating of renal papillary necrosis imaging issues.

Later complications on diabetic patients: nephropathies in necropsy material

The purpose of the present study was to analyze in detail the kidney lesions of diabetic patients. Revision of the histopathologic aspects of this nephropathy was performed, seeking to approach the pathophysiology of its formation. In 200 consecutive necropsies of cadavers of diabetic patients examined at the Pathology Department of the Medical School of the Säo Paulo University, some degree of nephropathy was found in 158 cases. The slides from parffin sections of these cases were reviewed according to a morphologic protocol previously established. Diffuse, nodular and mixed glomerulosclerosis were encountered in 42.2 per cent, 21.5 per cent and 5.7 per cent respectively. Subvcapsular drop and exudative lesion appeared in 12,7 per cent and 15.2 per cent of the cases. We also encoutered arteriosclerosis in 81.6 per cent, arteriolosclerosis in 88.6 per cent, necrotizing papillitis in 11.4 per cent and acute and chronic pyelonephritis in 23.4 per cent and 20.9 per cent respectively. We concluded that glomerular and vascular hyalin alterations were the most frequent findings in diabetic patients