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Therapeutic embolization in renal pathology is used for various conditions in cancerology, traumatology, urology, nephrology and for iatrogenic complications of percutaneous manoeuvers. Any department of vascular radiology may be requested to use this technique, especially in emergent traumatology or palliative cancerology. The authors study the various conditions that may benefit from these procedures and give the highlights of the main indications and the main types of embolic agents used. Complications, side effects and the major precautions are also reviewed., (Copyright 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is a rare form of chronic pyelonephritis, which frequently has a pseudotumoral appearance, as a result of which differential diagnosis with malignant renal neoplasia is difficult, especially as there are no specific signs of this lesion. The aim of this article is to notice the various histological, clinical and radiological characteristics, and the different modalities of diagnostic and treatment of this affection.

The authors report the case of a 57-year-old patient operated for adrenal metastasis from follicular thyroid carcinoma with intracardiac thrombus, who subsequently developed disseminated metastases leading to death 9 months after the operation. Adrenal metastases of thyroid carcinomas are rare and can be treated surgically when they are isolated. These metastases may appear many years after initial thyroid surgery requiring regular surveillance, especially by serum thyroglobulin assay in the case of well differentiated carcinoma.

Background: The classical treatment of ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) stenosis consists of open surgical resection-anastomosis. Endopyelotomy, a less invasive procedure, allows antegrade or retrograde endoscopic incision of this junction. The authors' experience of cold blade retrograde endopyelotomy (CBRE) is presented and compared with other techniques., Material and Method: Thirteen patients (3 men and 10 women), with a mean age 55.3 years, underwent CBRE with ureteroscopic and fluoroscopic control for primary (10/13) or secondary (3/13) UPJ stenosis. The clinical and urographic efficacy of the method was assessed retrospectively., Results: Median operating times and hospital stays were 40 min and 4 days respectively. The postoperative complication rate was 15.4% (two urinary tract infections). Eleven of the 13 patients are currently symptom-free with a mean follow-up of 26.5 months. Follow-up urography (mean follow-up: 11.9 months) shows a satisfactorily revascularized junction in 84.6% of cases (1 asymptomatic stenosis, 1 symptomatic stenosis revised by open surgery)., Conclusion: Compared to the other treatments of UPJ stenoses, CBRE is a simple, minimally invasive technique, which reduces operating time and hospital stay and therefore presents a good cost-efficacy ratio.