Acute arterial occlusion of the kidney

Alternative names:

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

Symptoms:

• flank pain or pain in the side, not colicky or spasmodic
• abdominal pain
• back pain
• blood in the urine (may occur)

Note: There may be no pain. Pain, if present, usually develops suddenly.

Signs and tests:

Physical examination is generally unrevealing unless the disorder has persisted long enough to cause kidney failure.

• An IVP may show no function of the affected kidney.
• A renal scan may indicate lack of blood flow to the affected kidney.
• Renal arteriography will show the exact location of the occlusion.

This disease may also alter the results of an abdominal MRI.