Persistent chyluria following renal cryoablation: A case report

Chyluria is a rare complication following renal intervention including partial nephrectomy and percutaneous ablation. To date, there are no reported cases of chyluria following renal cryoablation. An 82-year-old female patient at our institution underwent CT-guided percutaneous cryoablation for a renal cell carcinoma and presented with macroscopic fat in the urine 5 months after cryoablation. Presenting symptoms were polyuria, dysuria, and cloudy white urine. CT showed a fat-urine level in the ureter and bladder most consistent with chyluria. The patient experienced several episodes of presumptive lower urinary tract infection following diagnosis for which she was treated medically. Follow-up CT imaging 5 months post-diagnosis revealed persistent fat-fluid level in the collecting system and bladder. Operators performing renal cryoablation should be aware of the clinical and imaging manifestations of this complication.