[Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis with cancer of the kidney pelvis--a rare coincidence].

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is a specific form of a chronically destructive inflammation of the kidney. In addition to our own case of the extremely rare coincidence of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis and a transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis our report also refers to seven further cases of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis. Any preoperative diagnosis usually is inaccurate. The symptoms are: general poor health, renal pain, fever, marked reduction or complete loss of the renal function, and frequently radiological evidence of a renal tumor. Surgery of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis often results in nephrectomy.