A case of acute focal bacterial nephritis diagnosed by contrast-enhanced ultrasound

Acute focal bacterial nephritis is a bacterial infection confined to the renal parenchyma, and contrast-enhanced computed tomography is typically recommended for its diagnosis. Recently, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography has garnered attention as a useful alternative owing to its minimally invasive nature and lack of contrast-induced nephrotoxicity. We report the case of a patient who initially presented with right lower abdominal pain, suggestive of acute appendicitis, and she underwent a transabdominal ultrasound examination. Acute focal bacterial nephritis was suspected on this initial scan, and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography was successfully used to definitively diagnose acute focal bacterial nephritis. Therefore, this technique could be a noninvasive alternative to computed tomography for identifying acute focal bacterial nephritis.