Microwave ablation is rapidly becoming an integral part of the management of solid organ malignancy, particularly in renal cell carcinoma, owing to its minimally invasive approach with high rates of success and fewer complications1. Whilst many of the more common complications including haematuria, perirenal haematoma and thermal injury are well documented2, chyluria is a rare complication that is becoming increasingly more recognised. We look at 3 patients at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) in Queensland who underwent microwave ablation for suspicious renal lesions, and...

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CASE REPORTS CASE 1 A 54-year-old female was undergoing staging contrast-enhanced Computed Tomography (CT) scans for her known anal squamous cell carcinoma, and had an incidental finding of a 1.1 cm predominantly hypoechoic renal lesion in the lower pole of the left kidney (Fig 1). A follow-up scan 1 year later demonstrated interval growth, with newest largest dimension measuring 1.8 cm. After discussion at a Urology multidisciplinary meeting and in consultation with the patient, the decision was made to proceed with renal microwave ablation. The...

DISCUSSION Chyluria is the presence of chyle within the urinary bladder due to an abnormal communication between the lymphatic system and the urinary tract. In tropical / sub-tropical continents such as Africa and Asia, chyluria is most commonly filariasis-related due to Wucheria bancrofti, followed by tuberculosis and pyuria3. In Western countries, chyluria is most commonly seen secondary to renal trauma, diabetes mellitus, neoplasia and congenital lymphatic malformations4. Chyluria is only a relatively recently recognised phenomenon following renal microwave ablation5, however it is becoming increasingly recognised...

1. Hui GC, et al. Comparison of percutaneous and surgical approaches to renal tumor ablation: meta analysis of effectiveness and complication rates. Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology. 2008;19(9): 1311–1320. 2. Park BK, Kim CK. Complications of image-guided radiofrequency ablation of renal cell carcinoma: causes, imaging features and prevention methods. European Radiology. 2009;19: 2180-2190. 3. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Lymphatic filariasis. Atlanta: CDC, 2013. [Cited 20 Aug 2023]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lymphaticfilariasis/ 4. Diamond E, Schapira HE. Chyluria - a review of the...