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Alternative names Return to top
Acute renal arterial thrombosis; Renal artery embolism; Acute renal artery occlusion; Embolism - renal arteryDefinition Return to top
Acute renal arterial thrombosis is a sudden, severe blockage of the artery that supplies the kidney.Causes, incidence, and risk factors Return to top
The kidneys are very sensitive to the amount of blood that flows through them. Any reduction of blood flow through the renal artery can impair kidney function. If prolonged, a complete blockage of blood flow to the kidney often results in permanent failure of the kidney.
Lack of functioning of one kidney may not cause symptoms because the second kidney adequately filters the blood. Hypertension may develop, however. If there is not a second functional kidney, blockage of the renal artery may cause symptoms of acute kidney failure.
Acute arterial occlusion of the kidney may occur after injury or trauma to the abdomen, side, or occasionally the back. Emboli (blood clots that travel through the blood stream) may lodge in the renal artery.
The risk of emboli increases if there is a history of certain heart disorders such as mitral stenosis or atrial fibrillation. Individuals with disorders that make them highly likely to form clots may be particularly vulnerable to acute renal artery occlusions.
Occasionally, renal artery stenosis may increase the risk of a sudden occlusion due to clot formation.
Symptoms Return to top
Signs and tests Return to top
Physical examination is generally unrevealing unless the disorder has persisted long enough to cause kidney failure.Treatment Return to top
Often, no specific treatment is recommended. Blood clots may resolve spontaneously in time.Expectations (prognosis) Return to top
If only one kidney is affected, the healthy kidney may take over filtering and urine production. Damage caused by arterial occlusion may be temporary, but it is usually permanent. If there is only one functional kidney, arterial occlusion results in acute renal failure that often persists as chronic renal failure.Complications Return to top
Calling your health care provider Return to top
Call your health care provider if urine production stops, or if sudden, severe pain occurs in the back, flank, or abdomen.Prevention Return to top
In many cases the disorder is not preventable. The most important way to reduce risk is to stop smoking.
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Page last updated: 28 October 2004 |