The use of nephrostomy tubes in optimizing surgical conditions for a patient with xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is a rare variant of pyelonephritis that often requires radical surgery. We report a case of a 51-year-old female patient who was managed with prolonged placement of nephrostomy tubes prior to surgery. This case illustrates the importance of surgical optimization of a poor operative candidate and the use of nephrostomy tubes as a temporizing management strategy.