Purpose: Urinary extravasation is a common finding in grade 4 and 5 renal injuries. To date there has been little written about the natural course of urinary extravasation following renal trauma. We reviewed data on the outcomes of urinary extravasation in the traumatized kidney when managed nonoperatively.
Materials and methods: A retrospective review of the prospectively entered urological trauma database from San Francisco General Hospital was performed from 1979 to 2005. All patients with urinary extravasation after sustaining traumatic injury to the kidney as seen on computerized tomography were included in analysis.
Results: A total of 61 patients with urinary extravasation were identified. Of these patients 27 (44%) were treated operatively (26 of 27 underwent immediate and 1 of 27 underwent delayed open surgery). All (100%) operatively treated patients underwent renal exploration and repair at primary surgical management of associated abdominal and/or vascular injuries. Open surgical exploration resulted in nephrectomy in 5 of 27 (19%) patients. Of the 34 (56%) patients treated nonoperatively only 3 (9%) had persistent, nonprogressing urinary extravasation by computerized tomography 3 to 7 days after injury. All 3 (100%) of these patients underwent uncomplicated endoscopic ureteral stent placement followed by complete resolution of urinary extravasation.
Conclusions: Nonoperative management of urinary extravasation in patients sustaining traumatic injury to the kidney without associated abdominal or vascular injury is safe and results in resolution in more than 90%. In patients with persistent urinary leakage endoscopic ureteral stent placement may be needed and is successful.