Renal abscess: emerging concepts of diagnosis and treatment.

A retrospective review of 12 cases of renal abscesses disclosed that gram-negative bacteria were the most common infecting organisms. There was a high incidence of underlying renal disease. Excretory urography was the most reliable investigative procedure, although renal arteriograms were necessary frequently. In carefully selected patients conservative non-operative management can be successfully but an operation was required for the majority of our patients.