Acute arterial occlusion of the kidney

Alternative names:

acute renal arterial thrombosis; acute renal artery occlusion; embolism - renal artery; renal artery embolism

Definition:

A sudden, severe blockage of the artery that supplies the kidney (the renal artery).

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The kidneys are very sensitive to the amount of blood flow through them. Any reduction of blood flow through the renal artery can impair kidney function. A complete blockage of blood flow usually causes 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 heart disorders such as mitral stenosis or atrial fibrillation. Smoking also increases the risk of developing emboli. Occasionally, renal artery stenosis or atheroembolic renal disease (the effects of atherosclerosis on the kidney) may cause sudden thrombosis (clot) of the renal artery.