Retroperitoneal Fibrosis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is a rare condition, characterized by replacement of the normal tissue of the retroperitoneum with fibrosis and/or chronic inflammation. The disease is mostly idiopathic, but may also develop secondary to malignancies, infections, major surgeries or usage of certain drugs. Idiopathic RPF is thought to result from a local inflammatory reaction to antigens in the atherosclerotic plaques of the abdominal aorta, but the presence of systemic symptoms and high acute phase reactants suggest that it may be a manifestation of a systemic inflammatory disease. Steroids are primarily used in the treatment of RPF; immunosuppressive drugs and tamoxifen may also be used. Patients with obstructive uropathy undergo open or laparoscopic ureterolysis. If the patient could not be treated properly, the disease can lead to renal failure, otherwise the prognosis is usually good. In this report, we present the case of a patient who was investigated for acute renal impairment and was diagnosed as having retroperitoneal fibrosis based on abdominal ultrasonography scans, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography findings.