Aortic dissection or renal infarction--multislice computed tomographic angiography can tell.

BACKGROUND

Acute renal infarction as a consequence of renal artery occlusion often goes unrecognized, mostly due to the non-specific clinical features. A quick diagnosis, ideally within three hours of presentation, is a key to renal function recovery.

METHODS

A 62-year-old male patient was admitted with a sudden abdominal pain, right flank pain and nausea. He had a diastolic hypertension at admission and his previous medical history showed atrial fibrillation. Initial clinical diagnosis was aortic dissection. Laboratory findings included elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and serum creatinine levels. There were no signs of aortic dissection or aneurismatic lesions registered during a multislice computed tomographic (MSCT) angiography. However, MSCT angiography demonstrated left "upper" renal artery thrombosis and renal infarction--avascular area of the upper two thirds of the left kidney sharply demarcated from the surrounding parenchyma. Both kidneys excreted the contrast. Anticoagulant therapy was initiated, along with antiarrythmic and antihypertensive medications. The follow-up by computed tomography was performed after nine weeks, and it showed a partial revascularization of the previously affected area.

CONCLUSIONS

Concomitant presence of flank/abdominal pain, an increased risk for thromboembolism and an elevated LDH suggested a possibility of renal infarction. MSCT angiography is a non-invasive and accurate method in the diagnosis of renal artery occlusion and the resulting renal infarction.