Characteristics of Adult Patients with Idiopathic Retroperitoneal Fibrosis and Assessment of Risk of Relapse at Diagnosis

Abstract

Objectives: To compare adult patients’ characteristics suffering from idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis between “relapse-free” and relapsing patients at the diagnosis and identify factors associated with relapse at initial presentation. Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicentric study in four hospitals in Eastern France, from 1993 to 2020, of adult patients suffering from idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis. We analyzed clinical, biological, and radiological features at diagnosis and during a forty-month follow-up. Results: Of 47 patients suffering from retroperitoneal fibrosis, 21 patients had idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis. Among them, 13 experienced one or more relapses during follow-up. At diagnosis, clinical characteristics, relevant comorbidities, biological and radiological features were similar between groups. Smoking cessation seems associated with decreased relapse risk (p: 0.0624). A total of 8 patients developed chronic renal failure during follow-up. Ureteral infiltration at diagnosis was associated with evolution to chronic renal failure (p: 0.0091). Conclusion: No clinical, biological, or radiological features could predict relapse at retroperitoneal fibrosis diagnosis, but smoking cessation may prevent relapse.