What is the chief complaint typically associated with pyelonephritis?

Pyelonephritis, an infection of the kidney, commonly presents with specific symptoms that point towards both urinary and systemic involvement. The chief complaint associated with pyelonephritis is typically flank pain along with dysuria, which encompasses symptoms of both kidney and urinary tract irritation or inflammation.

Flank pain arises from the inflammation and infection affecting the renal tissues, often manifesting as discomfort or pain in the lower back, typically on one side where the affected kidney is located. Dysuria, or painful urination, occurs due to irritation in the urinary tract, often accompanying urinary tract infections, which are commonly involved with pyelonephritis.

While costovertebral angle tenderness is an important clinical sign in diagnosing pyelonephritis during a physical examination, it is more of a diagnostic finding rather than the chief complaint expressed by the patient. Severe abdominal cramping could be associated with a variety of other gastrointestinal conditions and is not characteristic of pyelonephritis symptoms. Thus, the combination of flank pain and dysuria best encapsulates the typical presentation of this condition, making it the most representative chief complaint for pyelonephritis.