Rare case of an upper urinary tract carcinoma (UTUC) in renal pelvis and ureter associated to renal vein thrombosis: diagnostic imaging with CECT, MRI and CEUS

Abstract

A 58-year-old woman complaining of dyspnea and mild flank pain was admitted to our radiology department after undergoing ultrasonography in another institution. She showed hydronephrosis and left kidney swelling. We performed a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) that confirmed the hydronephrosis and revealed a widely hypoperfused left kidney, a concentric thickening of the proximal ureter, and a slight and diffuse thickening of the renal pelvic wall, with a hyperdense content in the unenhanced CT phase and poor contrast enhancement in the post-contrast phases. A proximal ipsilateral renal vein thrombosis was associated. Non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the CECT findings. At the same time, we performed a contrast-enhanced ultrasonography examination, which proved to be helpful for the characterization of the lesion and for patient management.