Squamous cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis masquerading as xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis

We report a rare case of a 56-year-old male with a history of hypertension who initially presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain and was radiologically diagnosed with left xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP) in a non-functioning kidney with a staghorn calculus. Pathological evaluation of his kidney revealed squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the renal pelvis with invasion into the renal parenchyma. We highlight the presentation, diagnosis, and management of this rare condition.