Spontaneous rupture of the renal pelvis during pregnancy: a case report and review of the literature.

We report a case with spontaneous rupture of the renal pelvis during pregnancy. A 34-year-old Japanese woman was referred at 20 weeks' gestation because of sudden severe right flank pain. She had severe colic pain radiating to the right lower abdomen with percussion tenderness at the right costovertebral angle and was initially suspected to have renal/ureteral calculi. Ultrasonography and intravenous pyelography showed urine extravasating from the renal pelvis, indicating rupture of the right renal pelvis. Immediately following the insertion of a double-J indwelling catheter, her symptoms and perirenal extravasation ceased. She had no further urological problems during pregnancy and a male infant was delivered at 41 weeks' gestation. Cases with spontaneous rupture of the renal pelvis in pregnancy are reviewed.